Man who attacked another in Inverness bar let his ‘temper get the better of him’

A 36-year-old who attacked another man in an Inverness bar was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community work yesterday.

Gary Neil, of Balachlan Drive, Westercraigs, had earlier pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching and kicking James Robertson on the head and body to his injury in the Heathmount Hotel on December 11, 2013.

Sentence was deferred for a background report.

Defence solicitor Graham Mann told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood: “He knew the victim. There was a previous incident between them some months earlier.

“My client walked past him to go look for his partner and there was a verbal exchange. But as my client went to leave the premises, his temper got the better of him.

“Since December 2013, there has been no repeat and he has not come to the attention of the police in that time.”