A couple’s first date ended on a violent note when the man battered the woman’s parents following a row over the Mayweather vs McGregor boxing match.
Zachary Grey smashed a picture frame over the stepdad’s head, before launching a frenzied attack with an ornament, kicks and punches.
He had gone home with his date when her stepdad threw a snake at him as an “icebreaker” before the pair rowed over the high-profile boxing match and Grey became violent.
The 25-year-old also rained punches down on his date’s mother as she tried to intervene.
Cowardly Grey fled the scene when a neighbour called the police, but flung a concrete slab through the living room window as a parting shot.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the couple had met for the first time that night and gone back to her house to watch the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Conor McGregor fight.
But the atmosphere soured when the step-dad threw a pet snake at Grey – described as his way of breaking the ice.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson said Grey had met the woman for the first time on August 26 2017, after exchanging messages on a dating app.
The pair consumed “numerous alcoholic beverages” before getting a taxi back to the woman’s home on Hilton Terrace, where she lived with her mum and stepdad.
At around 1am Grey and the stepdad got into an “argument” and stood “face to face”.
Ms Simpson said: “Without warning, the accused picked up a photo frame and struck the man to the head with it, causing the pane of glass to smash and the man to fall backwards to the ground.
“The accused grabbed an ornament that was close by and struck him on the head and body with it.”
Repeated kicks and punches
Grey then repeatedly kicked and punched his date’s stepdad on the head and body.
When the mum tried to separate the men, Grey pushed her, causing her to fall over.
He then “repeatedly punched her to the head and body”. She put her hands up to protect her face while Grey continued to strike her hands.
A neighbour heard screams from the house and, looking in through a window, saw the stepdad “standing up covered in blood before being punched by the accused”, again knocking him to the ground.
The neighbour contacted police.
Grey then fled the address, but not before picking up a concrete paving slab from the garden and throwing it through the living room window.
Police arrived shortly after, and the mother and stepdad were both taken to hospital.
Grey pled guilty to assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement in relation to the stepdad, assault to severe injury and impairment in relation to the mum, vandalism, and failing to appear at court on another occasion.
‘Unusual tale of a first date’
Defence agent Stuart Flowerdew said his client had “difficulties when he was younger”.
He described the incident as an “unusual tale of a first date”, and said that during the date they chatted and realised they both had an interest in boxing.
They decided to go back to her house to watch the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Conor McGregor fight.
On arrival, her stepdad was asleep on the sofa, but initially, things went well and were “fairly relaxed” while they chatted with her mum.
When the stepdad woke up he was “surprised to find an individual he didn’t know in his house at that time”.
He decided to perform his “party piece” to act as an “ice-breaker” and picked up a pet snake from its aquarium in the corner of the room and threw it to Grey.
Mr Flowerdew a “problem arises” as the pair turned to discuss the boxing match.
It’s understood Grey had been supporting Mayweather, while the stepdad preferred Conor McGregor.
Sheriff Philip Mann ordered Grey, whose address was given as Skelton Grove, Sheffield, to be supervised for 18 months and to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody.
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