A 15-year-old boy who was "blitzed" on legal highs was charged with a brutal attack on a man in Co Antrim which left him with a fractured skull and a blood clot on his brain.
The teenager, who cannot be named to protect his identity, appeared before Antrim Magistrates' Court yesterday (Tuesday), charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent following the attack at a party in a flat, close to the Priory Gardens area of Larne, on August 18.
The victim suffered serious injuries, including a detached retina, and doctors fear he may lose the sight in one eye.
The court heard that the man's injuries were so severe, he could only speak to police six days after the attack.
The man was first assaulted by the occupant of the flat "for no reason" before the teenage defendant and another youth joined in the attack, a police officer told the court.
The victim was subjected to a "lengthy" beating before half of his long hair was cut. He was then put in a bath and ordered to wash blood from his face and body.
CCTV footage showed the man being carried unconscious from the scene. He was later found lying on the side of a road by a member of the public.
The police officer said the teenage boy at first denied his involvement, but admitted it after he was shown CCTV footage.
"He said he did it because he was blitzed," the officer said, adding that the teenager admitted he had taken alcohol and legal highs.
The teenager was bailed and will appear before a youth court next month.
