Eight years for machete attacker

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A man has been jailed for eight years for hitting another man in the face with a machete.

Ciaran McGuran, 21, from Portadown, suffers from post-traumatic stress after the unprovoked attacked by 21-year-old Stewart Morris Lindsay.

Lindsay, from Tavanagh Street in Belfast, admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mr McGuran also suffered a broken jaw in the attack in the Donegall Road area of south Belfast last September.

Belfast Crown Court heard the attack could have proved fatal as the deep slash wound was just inches from Mr McGuran's jugular vein.

The scar runs from the victim's ear to his mouth and required plastic surgery.

Night out

Mr McGuran and two friends had enjoyed a night out in Belfast and were due to return to Portadown but decided to go to another club.

As the trio were making their way along Glenmachan Street, they were confronted by Lindsay who repeatedly asked where they were from.

Mr McGuran told Lindsay they were from Belfast but after giving an address, Lindsay called him a liar and hit him on the face.

The attacker fled the scene and a passing motorist took the badly injured Mr McGuran to hospital with "the lower half of his cheek hanging down".

After a description of the attacker was issued, Lindsay handed himself in to the PSNI but made no admissions during interviews.

He was subsequently picked out of an identity parade by Mr McGuran and later admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Lindsay will serve a year's probation when he is released from custody.