A NIGHTCLUB reveller who “bottled” a man on the head had been ordered to pay his victim £1,500 in compensation.

Thirty-year-old Craig Cessford pleaded guilty to assaulting the man to his injury – causing a one-inch cut on his head – and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a glass bottle, in the Indigo Rooms in Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, during the early hours of October 17, 2022.

Prosecutor India McLean told Selkirk Sheriff Court the incident happened at 2.30am when the victim was standing at the bar waiting to be served a drink.

Cessford was sitting on a chair and when a bar staff member leaned over the bar to serve the man, Cessford turned to her and asked: “Do you know who he is?”

Ms McLean continued: “The accused grabbed a glass bottle from the bar and struck him on the head causing a one-inch laceration on his forehead.

“Police attended and the accused made no reply.

“The complainer was taken to hospital but did not require any further treatment.”

Cessford, formerly of Earlston but now living in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, had no recollection of the events according to his lawyer.

She said he had been at a rugby match in Earlston before heading into Galashiels and had consumed a significant amount of alcohol.

A plea was made for a Community Pay Back order to be imposed as an alternative to custody.

But Sheriff Kevin McCarron said the offence happened shortly after he had just completed a previous Order stating he had not learned his lesson as “four months later he was bottling someone over the head”.

The sheriff said jailing Cessford would have no benefit to his victim so instead he imposed a “harsh financial penalty” involving £1,500 compensation at a rate of £125 a month.

He added: “If I find out you have not paid that then you will be in serious trouble. There will be no discount on the sum involved. The discount is that are not going to jail.”