A father-of-four left another man with a broken jaw following a 2am bust-up at McDonald’s, a court has heard.
Mohammed Iqbal’s victim had to be taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the violent clash outside the fast-food restaurant in Bucksburn on February 7 2019.
Defence solicitor Paul Barnett told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that that horrifying assault was sparked by insulting remarks from the victim’s group of friends about one of Iqbal pals.
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross said Iqbal’s victim had been enjoying food from the Inverurie Road outlet with three friends at 2.30am and was about to get into his car when he was “punched with a closed fist a couple of times to his face”.
Victim suffered broken jaw
“He was assessed by a doctor at the emergency department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and was diagnosed, following an x-ray, with a lower fracture of his right jawbone,” she added. “He was later treated for ongoing dental pain.”
Iqbal, 32, admitted a charge of assault to severe injury.
Mr Barnett said Iqbal had been out drinking in the city centre on the night in question and the assault “went against his better judgement”.
He said: “Mr Iqbal’s position is that while they were in the restaurant comments were made by the complainer’s group of friends about his acquaintance’s weight, which Mr Iqbal felt were unacceptable.
“When the complainer left the restaurant Mr Iqbal went outside with the intention of demanding an apology for the remarks.
Wanted to demand an apology
“But when the complainer got into the vehicle the female that Mr Iqbal was with approached the car, opened the passenger door and assaulted another woman by striking her on the head.
“That resulted in the three males in the car getting out and Mr Iqbal says the complainer came at him.
“He formed the view he was about to be assaulted by him and it was at that point he struck him.”
The solicitor added that his client had since formed a new, healthier relationship, given up his cocaine habit and had made “considerable progress” in his life.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston handed Iqbal, of Andreson Drive, Aberdeen, 135 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
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