A restaurant boss followed and assaulted a woman who asked him to leave her alone.
Ishtiak Ahmed gave the stranger a “weird vibe” when he started talking to her outside G Casino in Aberdeen city centre.
The 26-year-old was told, in no uncertain terms, to leave her alone, but continued to watch her from a distance before following her into a dark lane.
After an initial altercation there, Ahmed grabbed the woman as they returned to Union Street and kicked her, leaving her “extremely distressed” and crying.
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened in the early hours of March 1.
She got a ‘weird vibe’ from him
He said the 25-year-old woman had been on a night out with friends but, due to her level of intoxication, she was refused entry to G Casino.
Mr McMann said: “She began to speak to one of her friends when she was approached by the accused.
“She can’t recall what was said, however she got a ‘weird vibe’ from him.
“The friend that was with her told the accused to ‘f*** off’ which he did and left the area.
“What can be seen on CCTV is that the accused stood a short distance away and continued to observe the complainer from a distance.”
The woman then left her friends and began to walk down Union Street in the direction of her home alone.
However, she stopped at Adelphi and walked down the lane there and was followed by Ahmed.
Victim was extremely distressed
Mr McMann told the court: “The parties, due to both their intoxication, struggle to remember what was said, however, unwanted comments were said to the complainer which resulted in her kicking the accused to the legs.
“They then came out onto Union Street and the complainer attempted to walk away.
“The accused approaches her and grabs her on the body and kicks her to the body, causing a slight injury, bruising to her hand due to the scuffle.”
Following the scuffle, Ahmed headed back towards the casino while the woman, “extremely distressed” and in tears, sought help from staff who had just started work at Marks & Spencer nearby.
They allowed her inside and contacted the police.
Guilty plea
Ahmed, of Main Street, Keswick, England, pled guilty to assault to injury.
Defence agent Michael Horsman said his client works as a restaurant manager and had been in Aberdeen visiting friends.
He acknowledged his client had limited recollection due to having been drinking, adding: “What he does remember is speaking to the complainer.
“Initially, he says, the discussion between them was perfectly civil.
“At some stage, it seems that the conversation became less friendly and, according to Mr Ahmed, the complainer was using swear words.
“His English is good but not 100%. He didn’t fully understand what the complainer was saying to him.”
Mr Horsman went on: “There’s a struggle between the two and he is accepting he assaulted her.
“He is quite adamant there was nothing sinister in his intentions.”
Sheriff Rhona Wark told Ahmed: “I’m concerned at the narration that you saw fit to follow somebody after they told you to leave them alone and that an assault and scuffle took place.
“These are things I take a dim view of.”
She ordered him to pay a fine of £740.
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