Tostevin, 39, had denied assault but was found guilty at trial.
He and the other man had given different accounts of events but he was found guilty by a 7-2 majority among the jurats. He had previous convictions for related offences, including violence and theft.
The court had been told that the two men and a woman had been out and gone back to Tostevin’s home where they went into his room to listen to music and drink.
The victim told the court that Tostevin had become angry, apparently after reading a message on his phone, and reportedly attacked him with a penknife.
This altercation progressed to Tostevin reportedly pushing his friend down the stairs before continuing to accost him outside the house, pinning him against a car at one point. The incident ended with Tostevin hitting the other man on the head with a third-full vodka bottle which smashed. This led to a cut and bruising and the man needed an x-ray to ensure that there was no glass in the wound. There were also x-rays taken of the man’s collarbone and little finger, with the latter found to have a fractured tip.
Advocate Natasha Newell, defending, said her client was fully aware of the seriousness of his conduct and the responsibility he bore for his actions. He accepted the court’s verdict in the case.
He expressed regret that the incident had occurred and had written an apology to the court. He also wished to apologise to the victim and recognised the harm he had done.
He had committed himself to change and specifically to address his use of alcohol in his life.
The breakdown of his parents’ relationship had led to instability in his life but he still had a good relationship with his father, who would provide accommodation for him after his release from prison.
In passing sentence, Judge Catherine Fooks said that the assault with the vodka bottle was very serious and the injury could have been much worse. His previous conviction for assault and the fact that at the time of this latest one he was subject to two suspended sentences, as well as the use of the bottle as a weapon, were all aggravating factors.
The court was concerned that this assault marked an escalation of his offending. His sentence was backdated to March 2025, the date he was taken into custody.
The suspended sentences were activated, to run consecutively, which increased Tostevin’s sentence by an additional six weeks.