Sunderland man threw milk over sleeping female friend before beating her with the glass in row over rumours

A MAN has been jailed after creeping into a friend’s bedroom, throwing a glass of milk in her face and attacking her.

Peter Scotter, who had known his victim for more than 20 years, let himself into her bedroom where punched her repeatedly and hit her with the empty glass after throwing the contents in her face during the 15-minute ordeal.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 52-year-old had accused the woman, who he would regularly meet for cups of tea as a friend, of spreading rumours about him.

She was left with a swollen face and a cut to her scalp from the glass attack.

Judge John Evans yesterday jailed Scotter, of Hendon Close, Sunderland, for 21 months and ordered him to stay away from his victim forever, under the terms of a restraining order.

The judge told him: “You assaulted her in a way which was wholly unacceptable. It was an appalling incident.”

The court heard the victim had been asleep when she heard a noise in her home and somebody coming up the stairs in the early morning of November 10 last year.

Prosecutor Simon Worthy told the court: “Before she had a chance to speak he punched her three times to the face.

“He then picked up a glass of milk from the bedside cabinet and threw the milk in her face before hitting the glass off the top of her head.”

The court heard at the time of the attack Scotter was on a suspended sentence for hurling racist abuse at a shopkeeper.

Jamie Adams, defending, said Scotter had been “lifelong” friends with the woman.

Mr Adams said: “They had been friends since they were very small and had helped each other out over the years.

“It was the fact of being wrongfully called in the way he was he took umbrage with.”

Scotter had admitted assault causing bodily harm.

Sunderland Echo