A DUNBAR man who left another man scarred for life after he smashed a pint glass into his face during a pub row has avoided a prison sentence.

Nathan Hill and a friend started talking to victim Lee Thomson at the town’s The Black Bull pub at about 12.30am on June 1.

But after a few minutes of chat, an angry Hill stood up and swung his arm at Mr Thomson’s head while holding the pint glass.

The glass smashed on impact with Mr Thomson’s head and the victim was rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told at a hearing last month that Mr Thomson would now be scarred for life following the brutal pub assault.

Hill, 29, had previously admitted the attack when he appeared from custody and he returned to court last Tuesday for sentencing.

Sheriff Donald Corke decided not to jail the offender and instead was persuaded to place him on a year-long community payback order.

Hill was told he must carry out 160 hours of unpaid work in the community and was also placed on 12 months of supervision.

Previously, fiscal Clare Kennedy told the court that Hill, c/o HMP Edinburgh, and a friend had arrived at the pub in the early hours of June 1 and soon began speaking to Mr Thomson.

Ms Kennedy said: “He was speaking with the complainer and there was a disagreement between Hill and the complainer and words were exchanged.

“The complainer stood up and Hill stood up and swung towards Mr Thomson with his right hand and while holding a glass. It smashed on impact.”

The pub’s manager witnessed the attack and immediately called in the police and an ambulance to deal with the situation. The fiscal added that Mr Thomson had a wound which was closed using stitches and, despite the injury not being life-threatening, he was described as having “permanent scarring to his face”.

Hill admitted assaulting Lee Thomson by striking him to the head with a glass to his injury and permanent disfigurement at The Black Bull, Dunbar, on June 1.