A thug has been handed a supervision order after battering his ex’s new boyfriend unconscious in a city centre graveyard.
Ruaraidh Hutchison lashed out at the man after a “chance meeting” in the St Nicholas graveyard just off Union Street.
The man had been with Hutchison’s ex-partner, who Hutchison had been banned from contacting, and introduced him as her new boyfriend.
But a row about booze quickly broke out, and Hutchison, 45, knocked the man out with a punch before continuing to punch him on the ground.
Victim was left with a laceration on his nose
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court an argument broke out between Hutchison and his victim in the graveyard at around 4.10pm on March 24.
She said: “The accused punched the complainer on the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious.
“While the complainer was on the ground, the accused punched him several times to the head and face.”
Hutchison’s ex, who was the subject of a non-harassment order banning Hutchison from contacting her, screamed during the assault but then left the scene with Hutchison.
The man was left with a 1cm laceration on the bride of his nose and superficial cuts to his left cheek.
Hutchison, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury, and also to breaching a non-harassment order.
Hutchison was ‘verbally challenged’ by the man
Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client had consumed alcohol at a friend’s house on Holburn Street and was heading to George Street after stopping to buy more booze en route.
He said there was then a “chance meeting” of the parties when Hutchison took a shortcut through the graveyard.
Mr McRobert said the man and woman, who he described as “well known to these courts”, were intoxicated and approached Hutchison.
There was then an argument about alcohol, during which the man “verbally challenged” Hutchison, who reacted by lashing out.
Mr McRobert said alcohol and drugs “were an issue” for his client at the time.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ordered Hutchison to be supervised for two years and handed him a curfew for five months.
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