Family tensions reached boiling point during a short break at a holiday cottage when a son attacked his own dad.
Donald Burn, 29, ended up holding his father in a headlock, wrestling him to the ground and repeatedly punching him during the 2am tussle in Sandend.
Other family members within the holiday rental heard the “commotion” and police had to be called on June 29 this year, Banff Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr said: “On the night, the complainer and the accused were together with others at the locus where they were for a week’s holiday.
Commotion heard by others
“The accused was noticeably drunk and at about 2am both men were outside when the accused became aggressive and took the complainer by the shoulders and wrestled him to the ground.
“The commotion was heard by witnesses within and they saw the accused put the complainer in a headlock, repeatedly punch him and put him to the ground.
“Police were contacted and on attendance, the accused complied with them.”
Burn’s father had “minor injuries” including grazes and cuts to his face.
After travelling north to Banff from his home in Musselburgh, Burn admitted a charge of assault.
‘Embarrassed and ashamed’
His defence agent Stuart Beveridge claimed Burn’s father was actually the first to become physical.
“The background is Mr Burn’s dad had got divorced from his mother and that caused a fairly strained relationship between them,” the solicitor said.
“The two had met up at a family dinner and due to the level of alcohol consumer old arguments were brought up again.
“His father became physical and the court has heard how it ended.
“Mr Burn had grazes himself from rolling about on the ground.”
Mr Beveridge added that his client, a general manager of a pub, was “embarrassed and ashamed” of himself and hoped to make amends with his dad once bail conditions were lifted.
Sheriff Robert MacDonald told Burn: “I suspect this will have consequences that go beyond what I do this morning.
“I will deal with you as a first offender and it seems to be a situation that arisen from a particular set of circumstances.”
He handed Burn, of Fishers Wynd, Musselburgh, a £620 fine.
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