A man assaulted a reveller in Aberdeen city centre in a drunken row over a stolen chip.
Philip Sinclair swiped a chip from a lady outside a takeaway on Langstane Place in the early hours of the morning.
But, despite the incident initially seeming to be in good humour, things quickly became heated and there was a confrontation between the 19-year-old and the woman’s boyfriend.
During the row, Sinclair punched the man to the face and followed up with a kick to the body.
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 12.20am on February 9 last year while all parties had been out drinking.
No charge over stolen chip
She said: “The complainer was sitting outside a takeaway when the accused exited a bar across the road.
“On walking past the complainer, the accused and complainer exchanged words and the accused then squared up to the complainer.
“The accused then punched him once to the head and the complainer attempted to strike back to defend himself.
“The accused then kicked the complainer once to the body.”
CCTV operators witnessed the assault and quickly directed officers to the scene where they found the man to have suffered swelling and grazing.
‘Seems to help himself to a chip’
Sinclair, whose address was given in court papers as Grampian Court, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client had since moved away from the area and now resided in Carnoustie with his mother.
He said: “He’d been on a night out. He’d been drinking.
“It’s clear from the footage he’s intoxicated.
“Initially, words were exchanged but it seems quite relaxed if not jovial.
“The complainer’s girlfriend seems to have a box of food in her hand and I think Mr Sinclair seems to help himself to a chip.”
Mr McRobert said the situation ended up becoming aggressive from both sides, with the complainer being “held back by his girlfriend”.
Sheriff James Hastie handed Sinclair 100 hours of unpaid work.
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