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AN AMERICAN citizen left a fellow student temporarily blind and in hospital after poisoning his drink with a solvent used in paint and anti-freeze, a court has heard.

Alexander Hilton, now 24, spiked a bottle of red wine with methanol and encouraged fellow US national Robert Forbes to drink it on the evening of a ball for students of St Andrews University in Fife.

Mr Forbes, also now 24, later experienced extreme lethargy, headaches, confusion and the complete loss of his vision for a time after consuming the toxic drink on March 5 2011.

Without treatment, the poison in Mr Forbes’ system would have had “life-threatening consequences”, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

The court heard how the victim was given whisky as part of his treatment in hospital to help counter the effects of the toxin.

Hilton will be sentenced next month after today admitting a charge of assaulting Mr Forbes to his severe injury, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life.

He appeared before the court - more than four years on from the crime - after being extradited from the US on May 7 this year.

Hilton was interviewed under caution later that week, where he denied knowing that Mr Forbes had been poisoned and repeatedly denied having spiked the wine.

Police found that Hilton had accessed web pages on methanol poisoning, after the incident but two days before Mr Forbes’ condition was diagnosed.

The court heard that methanol is used commercially as a solvent, especially in paints and varnishes, and is a constituent of some antifreeze solutions.

The court heard how the victim suffered from extreme lethargy, headaches, confusion and blurred vision, deteriorating into a complete loss of vision for a time.

He needed treatment to prevent permanent kidney damage.

“It would appear that Robert suffered no lasting damage to his kidneys. The same cannot be said for his vision,” said Mr Prentice, who outlined a series of problems the victim continues to experience with his eyes and sight.

However, he now has his driving licence back and is expected to graduate from St Andrews next week.

John Scott, defending, told the court the case was “very unusual as well as being serious”.

Hilton is on a “cocktail of drugs” to help him cope with his longstanding mental health problems, he told the court.

Mr Scott spoke of a “psychiatric background” extending back to before the incident.

He added that, unusually for a High Court case, he would be making the case at the next hearing for Hilton to receive a non-custodial sentence, describing the accused’s circumstances as unusual and unique.

Judge Lord Burns deferred sentence for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

He told Hilton: “The crime to which you have pleaded guilty is of course of the utmost seriousness and will attract a custodial sentence in the absence of exceptional circumstances.”