A man raced out of a city centre flat to sucker punch a stranger on Union Street in what he claimed was a misunderstanding.
David Ibazebo leapt into action upon hearing a disturbance outside a flat he was in on Adelphi in the early hours of the morning.
The 21-year-old ran outside and floored an innocent stranger, who had his back to him, with a punch to the side of the head.
Ibazebo claimed he “misunderstood” what was happening and believed the innocent man, who was left with five chipped teeth and cuts and bruises, had been attacking his friend.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the complainer and a friend had been drinking and socialising in the city centre into the early hours of October 7 last year.
While in G Casino, the complainer witnessed his friend get into a “verbal altercation” with another male.
Attacker ordered to pay victim compensation
On hearing the male say “let’s go outside now”, the complainer acted as a peacemaker, telling his friend to apologise and “leave it”.
The pair then left the casino but were approached again by the male, who removed his top and raised his fists as if preparing to fight.
Again, the complainer tried to diffuse the situation and escorted his friend away “to prevent the situation from escalating”.
As they walked along Union Street and passed the Adelphi, the male appeared again, shouting “oi”.
On turning round, the pair saw the male was now accompanied by Ibazebo.
Ms Simpson told the court: “The complainer turned back around to face his friend, at which time he was struck to the right side of his face, causing him to fall to the ground.
“Whilst on the ground, he heard laughing.”
While still on the ground, the complainer felt blood coming from his eyelid and used his T-shirt to clean it.
The pair later went to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he was found to have five chipped teeth and various cuts and bruises.
‘He misinterpreted that situation’
Police investigating the attack reviewed CCTV which showed the complainer repeatedly trying to diffuse the various confrontations.
The footage of the incident itself showed the complainer and his friend turning around to see the male from the casino and another unidentified male, and there was another verbal altercation.
Ms Simpson said: “The complainer is seen to repeatedly push his friend back, keeping him away from the males in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
“Shortly after, two further males, the accused and another unidentified male, come from the Adelphi.
“The accused is seen to strike the complainer, who has his back to him, to the right side of the face, causing him to fall to the ground.”
Police later identified, traced and arrested Ibazebo.
‘Deeply ashamed that he made this mistake’
Ibazebo, of Byron Court, Aberdeen, pled guilty to assault to injury.
Defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt said his client, a full-time student studying sound engineering, had never been in trouble before.
He said that on the date of the offence Ibazebo had been socialising with friends at an address in the Adelphi.
The lawyer went on: “At one point, my client heard shouting in the street outside.”
He told the court that, from the window, Ibazebo had a restricted view but could see a friend of his “involved in what seemed to be an aggressive confrontation with an unknown man”.
Mr Woodward-Nutt said: “As a result, he rushed out and the scene he saw he misunderstood to be an attack against one of his friends by the complainer.
“He of course accepts that he misinterpreted that situation and the complainer was entirely innocent.
“He tells me he is deeply ashamed that he made this mistake.
“He’s asked me today to publicly apologise to the complainer.”
The solicitor added that Ibazebo had limited income from posting music he produced online.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood ordered Ibazebo to pay a fine of £320 and imposed a £700 compensation order.
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