Victim faces lifetime of scarring, court told

A SURF Coast man was fined by a court yesterday after admitting he “glassed” his older brother in a brutal incident at his parent’s Torquay home.

Hugo Solomon, 20, smashed his 22-year-old brother in the face with a glass ornament, Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard.

The court heard the brothers — the middle pair in a family of four boys — had an argument at the home, where Hugo lives.

The younger brother, affected by alcohol, punched his older sibling once to the face and then pursued him into a bathroom, brandishing the heavy glass item.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jacki Davis said the victim suffered a broken nose and multiple cuts to his face that required stitches.

She tendered a series of “rather graphic images” of the man’s injuries to magistrate John Lesser, as well as a victim impact statement from the older brother.

The prosecutor told Mr Lesser said the incident counted as a family violence matter, noting the victim would have “scarring to last a whole life”.

She urged Mr Lesser to treat the matter “very seriously”, saying such an incident would normally demand a jail term, but noted the circumstances in this case were somewhat unique, with the brothers apparently patching up their relationship.

“Essentially, it’s a glassing ... brother versus brother,” Sen-Const Davis said.

The court heard the defendant had mental health issues and problems with cannabis addiction.

Defence lawyer John Butler confirmed the brothers were on good terms, and the older sibling had accepted his younger brother’s apology.

Mr Lesser said such incidents were known to “bring families to ruin”, but praised the men for making up.

“I suspect alcohol was the more serious issue than mental health for this offending,” Mr Lesser said.

The defendant was fined $1000 and put on a year-long court undertaking to be of good behaviour.