A violent thug who attacked a man who hugged his girlfriend – knocking him unconscious and stamping on his head – has avoided a prison sentence.
Donald Stewart argued with the man in The Snuggery on Market Street – but when the pair were kicked out things became violent and he lashed out.
As they left the bar into the alleyway outside, Stewart punched his victim in the face, knocking him to the ground where he repeatedly stamped on his head.
The 43-year-old continued the brutal stamps even as his victim was knocked unconscious and lay motionless on the ground.
Stewart pled guilty to assault to severe injury and danger of life at an earlier hearing when the court heard a detailed narrative of the circumstances of the offence.
Sentence was deferred for background reports and he has now returned to the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to learn his fate.
‘In many situations like this, victim would suffer serious consequences’
In his mitigation, defence agent Kevin Longino highlighted the age of the incident, on December 28 2019, and explained his client had since turned his life around and dealt with his alcohol issues.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Stewart: “This is a very serious charge indeed.
“In this particular case, although there was some danger to the complainer’s life from the sheer nature of the attack, in actual fact he did not suffer injuries of a particularly serious nature.
“I appreciate he did suffer a broken ankle but the really serious aspect of the assault is what you did with your foot.
“In many situations like this, someone who was the victim of an attack like this would suffer very serious consequences.
“It’s a matter of great fortune for both you and the complainer that such injuries did not actually occur.”
As a direct alternative to prison, the sheriff ordered Stewart, of Nellfield Place, Aberdeen, to complete 300 hours of unpaid work – the maximum which can be imposed.
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