A drunken reveller slapped a stranger’s bottom outside an Aberdeen nightclub – right in front of police officers who were speaking to him.
Paul Bain reached out and assaulted the woman as she walked past him outside Prohibition in Aberdeen city centre.
Stunned police officers, who had been talking with the 25-year-old at the time, asked the shocked woman if she knew Bain and she replied that she didn’t.
Bain, who is a forklift driver, was swiftly arrested and has been fined after pleading guilty to a charge of assault.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that Bain was “clearly intoxicated” during the incident that happened at 2.50am on November 6 this year.
‘Shocked by his actions’
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson said: “Police were on foot patrol outside Prohibition and began to engage with the accused regarding an unrelated matter”.
Bain was “clearly intoxicated through alcohol”, was slurring his words and smelled of drink.
Ms Thompson added: “At this time, the complainer was walking past the locus.
“The accused turned around and slapped her to the buttocks with his right hand in front of the police officers.
“The police officers asked if she knew the accused. She said she did not and was shocked by his actions.”
Bain later explained that he’d behaved in this was “due to being intoxicated through alcohol”.
‘Puerile and banal’
Bain, of Springhill Crescent, Aberdeen, had initially been charged with sexual assault but the crown accepted a plea to the lesser charge of common-law assault.
Defence agent Mike Monro described his client’s actions as “puerile and banal”, as well as “absolutely inexcusable” and “stupid”.
He said officers had to explain to Bain, when he sobered up in custody in the morning, what he had done.
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered Bain to pay a £420 fine, adding: “It’s a stupid and highly unpleasant thing to do.”
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