A dog walker was attacked as he strolled along a north-east beach, a court heard yesterday.
William Crawford was head-butted on the face after an exchange with another man who was also out with his dog.
Yesterday, fisherman Mark Davison, who has a history of violence, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court and admitted the assault at the town’s Lido on July 3 last year.
The 43-year-old, of 62f King Street, Peterhead, avoided being locked up after Sheriff Alison Stirling heard how he had started volunteering with a local church group. He was instead ordered to carry out 90 hours of unpaid community work.
In January, Davison was sent to prison after he admitted beating a man unconscious in a brutal street brawl.
He was previously jailed in April 2012 after drunkenly assaulting a bus driver in Aberdeen.
Yesterday, fiscal depute Ruairidh McAlister said that Mr Crawford was walking his dog along the shore when he was approached by Davison.
“The accused (Davison) began shouting at Mr Crawford about the behaviour of his dog,” he said. “Mr Davison was of the opinion that Mr Crawford’s dog should have been on a lead and shouted to him: Get that skinny… thing on a lead.”
The court heard Mr Crawford told Davison that if he was so worried, he should simply put his own dog on a lead.
With that, Davison ran at his victim and butted him on the nose, causing him to start bleeding.
“You should have kept your dog on a lead,” he said, before walking away.
Defence agent Sam Milligan said: “It’s accepted that there was an over-reaction here.”
He said Davison snapped because he thought Mr Crawford’s response was “condescending in the extreme”.
Mr Milligan added: “Since this time, Davison has been asking a variety of questions about himself. He has turned to the church and has been doing voluntary work.”
Sheriff Stirling told Davison: “I have taken into account a testimonial which shows that you have been doing voluntary work.”
In December 2011, Davison head-butted the driver of a Stagecoach bus after he was caught trying to sneak onboard. His victim was left with nerve damage.