Real estate agent's school reunion glassing 'shocking, unprovoked'

"I was an innocent person just enjoying a night out," the victim, a former teacher, wrote in an impact statement about the "confronting and traumatic experience".

Eduardo Duran, 40, stared intensely at this reporter in the ACT Supreme Court before his sentencing proceedings began on Wednesday.

The offender previously admitted to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after ending his attendance at a school reunion by glassing a man he had only just met.

Before starting his own real estate business, the court heard Duran was a soldier for a decade.

Agreed facts tendered to the court detail how Duran attended his wife's 20-year school reunion at Fenway Public House in Woden on September 17, 2022.

By coincidence, a former teacher of the school in question was present at the pub and joined his old students for a drink.

As seen on CCTV footage played for the court, Duran unexpectedly pulled and "placed force" on the back of the victim's neck amid group conversation.

The two men talked before Duran placed the victim in a "neck hold", pulled on the former educator's scarf and took his glass, from which the offender drank.

The victim was again placed in a "forceful head lock unexpectedly" but managed to pull away while Duran's partner was seen trying to calm the offender down.

It's at this point Duran held the back of the victim's neck in his left hand and punched the glass into the man's face.

The offender walked out of the pub and did not make any attempt to help his victim, who required immediate medical attention.

The former teacher suffered two lacerations to the face, one needing stitches and the other glue and strips.

"It's still with me to this day," the victim told the court, recounting his fear Duran might have shown up at his home following the random attack.

He would later be forced to undergo surgery to remove glass after one of his scars became infected.

Defence barrister Caitlin Akthar said her client had a "deep sense of shame" for the attack.

"This matter, whatever the outcome, will have permanent consequences for Mr Duran," Ms Akthar said.

"He now will have a conviction, he'll have a criminal record. That's not a small thing for Mr Duran because of the way he conducted his life up until that point."

MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS:

The court heard Duran had been heavily engaged with support services without any outside direction "to address his demons".

"A person like Mr Duran takes pressure off the rest of the system because he's doing what he is doing," prosecutor Christina Muthurajah said.

Justice Louise Taylor reserved her sentencing decision until next week.