An Inverness man who broke his victim’s jaw in two places with a single punch escaped a jail sentence yesterday.
Alistair Young, of Castle Heather Drive, appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after previously admitting assaulting one man to his severe injury and impairment.
The court had been told that moments earlier, 26-year-old Young had punched and kicked another man. He also pleaded guilty to that offence.
The incidents in Inverness city centre on March 14 last year were both captured on CCTV and played for Sheriff Margaret Neilson.
Sentencing Young to the maximum 300 hours of unpaid community work as an alternative to custody, the Sheriff told him: “This is a matter of grave seriousness and if you breach the order, you will undoubtedly go to prison.”
Defence solicitor Graham Mann said his client “was unlikely to re-offend in this way. Whatever was going on in his mind that day was misplaced and he made an error of judgement.”
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart had told the court last month that events began in the Topkapi Kebab shop in Baron Taylor’s Street.
Young was seen to follow a man out of the shop and punch him once and then kick him once on the body in Academy Street.
Seconds later the cameras picked up his former co-accused in an argument with Young’s second victim, Luke Pelleymounter.
The video showed the former co-accused throw her kebab meal over Mr Pelleymounter before Young knocked him to the ground with one punch.
Ms Dickson’s not guilty plea to an assault was accepted by Mr Urquhart.
The court heard that Mr Pelleymounter required two metal plates surgically placed in his jaw to repair it.