Footballer who cut man's face with glass ordered to pay victim £2k

Ryan Burns, 28, was also ordered to pay £800 in prosecution costs

A footballer who cut a man's face with a glass when he drunkenly shoved him has been ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation.

Ryan Burns, 28, who plays for FC Isle of Man, admitted unlawfully wounding the man at a party in December 2020.

Douglas Courthouse heard he had "got the wrong end of the stick" after seeing his girlfriend talking to the victim in the bathroom.

He was sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years.

The sentence had been suspended because of Burns' charity work, Deemster Cook said.

The court heard Burns had been out drinking with his girlfriend in Douglas on the evening of 23 December with some of her old school friends, including the victim, before they held an "after party" at their flat at about 01.30 GMT the following morning.

After Burns had gone to bed, the victim, who had never visited the flat before, asked to use the toilet and the woman showed him where it was.

During this time, Burns, of Saddlestone, got out of bed to get a glass of water and heard the pair chatting in the bathroom.

'Constant reminder'

The court heard he swung the door open before shoving the victim with both hands while still holding a prosecco glass.

The victim was left with a deep wound to his face that required six stitches and the incident was reported to police by nurses at Noble's Hospital.

The court heard the victim had been left with a 4 inch (10cm) scar next to his eye socket.

In a victim impact statement, he said the scar served as a constant reminder of the events, and he often felt the need to lie about how he got it to avoid being seen as someone who had been involved in fighting.

It was upsetting that it had become the only distinguishable feature between he and his identical twin brother, he added.

Burns' defence advocate said, although the incident was "abhorrent", it had not been a premeditated or sustained attack.

Prosecutors accepted it appeared to be "a one-off incident".

Deemster Cook said it was "fortunate" the victim had not been blinded by the glass and suspending the sentence had been a "difficult decision".

He said he had decided not to send Burns to prison, not because of his "footballing prowess", but because of his charity work associated with it, and the fact he would lose his job in the trust sector if sent to jail.

Burns was also ordered to pay £800 in prosecution costs.