Glassing guilty plea

A FORMER Catholic College Bendigo student who glassed another student on muck-up day will be sentenced today.Clay Davies, 18, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury when he appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates Court yesterday.Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable David Somerton said students had gathered in the beer garden of a Bendigo hotel on October 27 last year when the victim approached a person he knew sitting with Davies.“The victim was introduced to Davies and Davies refused to shake his hand,” he said.Leading Senior Constable Somerton said Davies had a pot glass in his hand at the time.He said the victim had then walked away before being approached by Davies about 15 seconds later.He said Davies struck the left side of the victim’s face with his right hand.“He still had the pot in his hand,” he told the court.The victim was taken to Bendigo Hospital with several large cuts to his face.After the incident, Davies left the pub with a friend. He was later interviewed by police and taken into custody.“During the interview he told police he shouldn’t have done it and that he should have walked away,” Leading Senior Constable Somerton said.Defence barrister Kellie Blair said Davies went to muck-up day early with other students who were drinking outside the school grounds.“The school had planned an assembly which was moved to earlier in the day and the students were dismissed at 11am,” she said.Ms Blair said Davies arrived at the beer garden already intoxicated, but stopped drinking after the incident.“He’s come home after the incident and gone straight to the police station to ’fess up.“He saw a photo of the victim and was very distressed.“At the police interview he asked police to let him know how the victim was.”Ms Blair said Davies had forgotten he had the pot glass in his hand.“He doesn’t say there was provocation, but there was an exchange of words before the altercation,” she said.“In the sober light of day he is devastated by his actions.“It does appear out of character and he’s learnt a valuable lesson.“Since the incident he hasn’t gone out to licensed premises.’’Ms Blair said Davies was from a good family and that he worked with his father in the building industry.Former police officer Terry Davies, no relation to the accused, said he had known him to be a composed and calm person who would assess situations, and that he had never known him to be aggressive.Magistrate Greg McNamara adjourned the hearing until today.