A joke backfired on an Easter Ross man who was attacked and severely injured in a Tain street.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that Greg Sutherland had jokingly put a companion in a headlock as they moved from one pub to another on May 2, 2015.
The pair then had a laugh about it. But fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood that another man had misconstrued what had occurred in Bank Street and rushed to intervene.
He was put to the ground by Mr Sutherland who was himself punched several times by a third man.
It was then that Paul Austin, 32, joined in the melee, the court heard, shouting to Mr Sutherland: “what have you done to my mate?.”
He was initially restrained by one of the group but broke free and punched Mr Sutherland on the head, leaving his face covered in blood.
Austin, described as an Inverness prisoner, admitted assaulting Mr Sutherland to his severe injury and permanent impairment by punching him on the head.
Mr Sutherland sustained a fractured left cheek bone and a broken nose as a result, leaving him with permanent numbness.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told the court that Austin first appeared in court on July 24, 2015 but failed to appear for a scheduled hearing on September 27, 2016. A warrant for his arrest was granted.
But it wasn’t until August this year that Austin was finally apprehended and remanded in custody until this week’s appearance.
Sentence was deferred until January 15 for a background report and Austin was again remanded in custody.