A 75-year-old shopkeeper suffered a heart attack after being assaulted by a man he had asked to leave the store.
Khushi Bhatti was helping out in the Best-One grocery shop on Market Street in Aberdeen when Gary MacKinnon knocked him to the ground with a punch to the face.
His family say the formerly fit pensioner has never been the same since having to stay in hospital for two weeks after the assault “triggered” his heart attack.
Yesterday MacKinnon was branded “disgraceful” when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, but he managed to avoid being sent to prison.
The court heard that MacKinnon approached the shop at about 8pm on Thursday, February 8.
Fiscal depute Cheryl Clark said: “The accused was clearly intoxicated and had to be escorted from the premises.
“A few moments later, he returned and punched Mr Bhatti to the face.
“About 30 minutes later, the complainer suffered a heart attack and was admitted to hospital.
“He had no prior issues relating to his heart, and although doctors can’t say for sure that the punch caused it, they do believe the punch triggered it.”
Mr Bhatti’s son, Zubair Ahamedi, was working with him on the night in question and described the incident’s lasting effects.
He said: “He had never had any heart problems at all before, but he is not very well now.
“Before this, he was often in the office helping out with paperwork and now he spends far more time at home.
“But we are grateful he is alive, especially after something like that happening at his age.”
MacKinnon, who lives on Govan Road in Glasgow, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Bhatti by punching him in the face.
Defence agent, Stuart Murray, said his 42-year-old client was “shocked” when police told him about what happened to his victim immediately after he was struck.
Mr Murray added: “The accused only has one analogous conviction, from 16 years ago.”
Sheriff Mark Thorley told MacKinnon: “Assaulting a 75-year-old man who was working was a disgraceful act.
“But I am taking into account that you appear to show contrition and imposing an alternative sentence to a custodial one.”
MacKinnon was ordered to perform 225 hours of unpaid work within six months as a “direct alternative” to imprisonment.