A man attacked a friend with a metal pole after provocative text messages were sent to his girlfriend by accident.
Mark Ratley flew into a rage when he discovered his friend had been sending “heavily sexualised” messages to his then-girlfriend and challenged him to a fight.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the horror attack left his victim in hospital with facial fractures and the communal hallway where it happened splattered in blood.
The court was told the victim intended to text the messages to another woman but sent them to Ratley’s former partner by mistake.
‘If you’re going to fight with me at least use your fists’
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson said on the evening of October 4 2020, Ratley, 38, and his ex-girlfriend had gone to a flat on Carnie Brae, Kintore, where they drank alcohol.
“During the evening, the complainer sent a number of explicit messages on his mobile phone, intended for a female friend, to the accused’s partner, in error,” she said.
“The accused, angered by the messages, contacted the complainer by phone and an argument developed.
“The complainer then attended outside the address on Carnie Brae and shouted up at the window.”
Ratley then exited the property and challenged the man to a fight, stating “c’mon then!”
A fight between the men broke out in the communal hallway with punches thrown.
Ratley produced a black metal pole from his sleeve and struck the complainer over the head.
As Ratley continued to rain down blows with the pole, his victim shouted: “If you’re going to fight with me at least use your fists”.
However, Ratley continued to strike the man on various parts of his body with the pole, causing him to fall to the ground.
When police attended they saw “blood spatter” on the first-floor landing and blood smeared all over the walls.
They found the complainer at his address, under the influence of alcohol with blood all over his face.
He was then taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, while police located and arrested Ratley, who immediately admitted he had been fighting.
The victim suffered bruising and swelling around his right eye.
An X-ray confirmed he had suffered a “blow-out” fracture to his cheekbone.
Following the incident, the complainer now suffers from severe headaches and blurred vision.
Ratley pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and a second charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon.
Victim left with ‘permanent impairment’
Defence agent Alex Burn told the court that both Ratley and the complainer in the case were “avid users of drugs at the time”.
He added: “It was the heavily sexualised messages to Mr Ratley’s partner what kicked the incident off.
“Upon viewing these messages he was absolutely furious as he considered him a friend.
“He is infuriated with what’s gone on and he fully accepts he took part in this altercation.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller told the court that as a result of his actions, his victim had sustained “serious injuries” and “ongoing permanent impairment”.
He added: “This is a serious matter, but you have publicly accepted responsibility for these offences.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Miller handed Ratley, of School Road, Kintore, a community payback order with supervision for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
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