A TEENAGER struggling to get over the breakdown of a relationship smashed a wine glass on a man’s ear after a throwaway comment sparked him to violence.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, said James Adrian and two friends walked past a house party in Middle Mead, Hook, on July 4. Max Naudi was outside embracing an ex-girlfriend when Mr Adrian referred to them as “lovebirds”, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Mr Welling said: “The apparently innocent remark, describing them as lovebirds, struck a chord with the defendant. What they (Mr Adrian and friends) did not know was that the two were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend, and the defendant had struggled with that state of affairs.”

Naudi later told police officers that while he punched Mr Adrian to the head, while holding the wine glass, he had not deliberately smashed the glass into his head. The blow caused the wine glass to smash and left two cuts to Mr Adrian’s left ear.

Naudi, 18, of Old Potbridge Road, Winchfield, was in the dock for sentence having admitted one count of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Stuart Weston, defending, said Naudi had no previous convictions, was remorseful and had saved £1,000 from his job as a kitchen porter to pay compensation to Mr Adrian.

Addressing Naudi, Judge Andrew Barnett said: “What you did was to completely lose control of yourself for no particularly good reason and lash out at your victim and smash him in the ear with a glass that caused him significant harm and a degree of disfigurement.

“If that glass had gone in a slightly different part of his face then he would have lost an eye.”

The judge sentenced Naudi to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for one year, and ordered him to pay a total of £1,800 compensation.