A 33-YEAR-OLD Newent man who poured a kettle of hot water over a guest in his home, scalding and burning him, has walked free from court.
Liam Johnson, of Meek Road, had invited victim Rory McDonald into his home to stop him bothering neighbours, Gloucester Crown Court was told.
But after Mr McDonald had been in his home for a few hours, Johnson suddenly walked up to him with a recently boiled kettle and poured it over him. He then hit him with the kettle, breaking it, the prosecution said.
The water was not boiling, but was still very hot, the court heard.
Mr McDonald went to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and was treated for a blister on his knee and a burn to his ear.
Johnson pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Mr McDonald on February 5, 2015 and was sentenced to two years prison, suspended for two years, with a supervision order for the same length of time.
Judge Jamie Tabor QC also imposed a 12 months mental health treatment requirement.
The judge said such an offence would normally attract an immediate jail term, but he took into account that Johnson suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which although medicated, was sometimes out of control.