A clubgoer was attacked on the dancefloor of an Elgin nightclub and kicked in the face.
Andrew Grant slammed the man to the floor before delivering the kick that knocked him unconscious.
The victim was left with a bloodied mouth and a broken tooth, which later had to be removed.
Grant, 28, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of assault to injury in relation to the attack on March 13 of this year.
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan told the court that the attack took place at around 2.30am on the dancefloor of The Playhouse bar and nightclub in Elgin.
‘Minding his own business’
He said the man was “dancing and minding his own business” when Grant “grabbed him from behind, slamming him to the floor”.
After this Grant kicked the man to the face while he was lying on the floor.
“It appears he was knocked unconscious,” Mr McLennan told the court.
It was at this point that other clubgoers stepped in, helping the victim, who was not known to Mr Grant, to his feet.
Police were called and spoke to the victim, who had no recollection of the incident.
“He had a bloodied mouth and part of his tooth was coming away,” the fiscal depute told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank.
Grant was later traced and identified using images from CCTV footage.
Elgin club attacker ‘remorseful”
At interview, he stated he had no recollection of being in the nightclub but was “remorseful” about what had happened.
Solicitor Rory Gowans, for Grant, told the court that this incident was “entirely out of character” for the bus mechanic and something that he “bitterly regrets”.
He said: “He wishes to apologise unreservedly to the individual he assaulted on that evening.”
Sheriff Cruickshank fined Grant, of Auchorn Square, Bowermadden, £640 and ordered him to pay compensation of £750 to his victim.