A “good Samaritan” who stepped in to help a woman receiving hassle from a drunk man was later attacked by him.
Joginder Niner, 34, admitted attacking the man on Union Street following a night out in Aberdeen city centre on April 13 2019.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how the man intervened to help the woman after he noticed Niner was pestering her in a city takeaway.
Niner then left, but snuck up behind the man and struck him on the back of the head as he made his way home.
Man was attacked for getting involved
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend told the court: “He became aware of the accused speaking with a female and appearing to chat her up and pester her with attention.
“The complainer intervened, asking the accused to leave the female alone – he then left with friends and the complainer waited for his takeaway.
“As he went on to Union Street the complainer was struck to the rear of the head – turning he saw that it was the accused.”
A witness later told police that he had seen Niner stretch his right arm out to his side then swing it round and struck the male near his collar bone.
The man was then struck again by Niner as he attempted to avoid the blows.
He was left with an injury to his head.
As police arrived and began to search Niner for offensive weapons he became aggressive and started shouting and swearing at the officers – peppering them with racial and homophobic abuse.
He was then cautioned and arrested by cops.
‘If he’d been sober I don’t think we’d be here today’
Defence agent Mike Munro told the court that Niner accepted that he aimed a punch at the man “and did make contact”.
Speaking about the abuse directed towards police by Niner, Mr Munro added that his client had “taken umbrage” at being questioned first by cops, which he took to be linked to his ethnicity.
He said: “He took exception to that. He had a chip on his shoulder and that is why he reacted in the way that he did.
“If he’d been stone-cold sober and dealt with it in the proper way I don’t think we’d be here today.”
Sheriff Philip Mann fined him £415.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.