A north-east man walked free from court yesterday after a jury acquitted him of a serious assault charge.
Ryan Watt had been on trial accused of attacking Kenneth Davidson and punching and kicking him to his severe injury.
But a jury took just 10 minutes to find the case against the 22-year-old welder not proven at the end of a two-day trail.
He had lodged a special defence of self defence.
Watt had been accused of assaulting Mr Davidson after the 23-year-old arrived at his father’s home in the early hours of January 1, 2014 then pursuing him into the street and kicking and punching him while he was on the ground.
Peterhead Sheriff Court heard Mr Davidson went to the house in Fraserburgh’s St Andrew’s Drive after Watt’s father – also named Ryan – invited a group of Hogmanay revellers to a party.
They included Mr Davidson and his then-girlfriend, 25-year-old hairdressing student Kimberley McHattie.
The jury was told Watt, of 22 Queen Mary Street, lashed out after Mr Davidson walked into a downstairs bedroom where he was playing music with Ms McHattie.
Watt’s agent, solicitor John Adam, had maintained throughout the case that Watt punched Mr Davidson – also known as Marvin – only after being hit himself.
The court heard Ms McHattie’s boyfriend jumped to conclusions and accused the pair of having an affair behind his back.
Yesterday, Watt said he had been sitting alone in the room when Ms McHattie came to talk to him.
He said: “I was sitting there choosing songs and flicking through my tablet. She had come into the room telling me she wanted to talk to me for five minutes
“Moments later, Marvin walked in the door. There was a commotion, it was something to do with Kimberley going behind his back.
“He immediately punched me in the lower part of my jaw. I got up and punched him a few times really quickly, he falls to the floor.”
Asked by Mr Adam if he kicked Mr Davidson while he was on the ground, Watt replied: “No, I did not.”
Mr Davidson suffered two fractures to his jaw as a result of the incident and required surgery to mend the bones.