A 23-year-old Grantown-on-Spey man who used a metal pole and a rock in an attack was ordered to pay his victim £450 in compensation.
Darren Stewart, of Beachen Court, was also told to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to prison.
Sheriff Sara Matheson told Stewart when he appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court on Thursday: “The fact this offence was pre-planned and the nature of the attack, the threshold of prison has been passed.”
But the Sheriff decided against it because of the “positive” background report on Stewart. But she warned him that if he did not comply, he would likely be jailed.
Stewart admitted assaulting a Boat of Garten man to his injury after he waited for him to arrive at a bus stop on September 3, 2019.
Referring to the pole and rock attack by the Grantown man, Fiscal depute Niall Macdonald said: “There were a number of punches and kicks and one strike with each of the items. The victim ended up with a blood nose and broken glasses.”
The court was told that Stewart was angry with the man who had posted a message on social media suggesting Stewart was involved in drugs.
Defence solicitor Clare Russell said: “He went to confront the complainer and matters escalated.”