A thug bragged about his supposed black belt in kickboxing before punching an Elgin shopkeeper.
Andrew Clark, 32, appeared by video link during his sentencing hearing at Elgin Sheriff Court on Thursday, when he was handed even more time in prison for assaulting two people on separate occasions in the town.
The supposed martial artist was locked up earlier his month for leaving a woman with severe injuries after he repeatedly stamped on her head.
Adopted a ‘fighting stance’
Fiscal depute Shay Treanor told the court these assaults happened in March and in December last year.
The first attack, on March 29, took place when Clark went into Elgin’s Budgens Service Station with an associate, who was remonstrating about a botched grocery order.
“Upon being told that the matter could not be dealt with that evening, the accused became angry, extremely aggressive, and stated that he was a black belt kickboxer,” Mr Treanor said.
Clark proceeded to take up a “fighting stance” and punched the shopkeeper on the head, causing him to suffer bruising and a “superficial cut”.
And then on December 13, outside the Ionic Bar on High Street, Clark would strike again. This time, his target was a woman.
“Police were made aware by a passerby of a male and female who were arguing outside,” Mr Treanor said.
His victim would go on to tell police Clark had pushed her to the ground and restrained her after she tried to push him away. As a result, she suffered grazes to her temple and cheekbone.
Mr Treanor said: “Police attended, where they observed the accused sitting at a table clearly intoxicated. He was roused and removed from the property. He was arrested.
“He referred to officers as wh***s, s*****cs, r****ds and c*****.”
‘Not true’
Clark also appeared on Thursday as part of a review on an existing 120-hour community payback order – handed to him because he threatened a neighbour and damaged their property in June last year.
During his hearing, Clark interrupted with his own version of events.
Responding to Mr Treanor’s narrative of the High Street assault, he said: “Not true. Not true. I was the one that was attacked.”
And during his sentencing, he even interjected during Sheriff David Harvie’s orders.
Again, he stated, “I was assaulted”, and added: “After being assaulted, you have to defend yourself.”
‘I’m a black belt kickboxer’
It prompted, to laughter from the gallery, the sheriff to go through what Clark had pleaded guilty to.
Sheriff Harvie said: “Mr Clark, you’ve said this repeatedly. You gave instructions at the time to tender a plea of guilty.
“Do you think it was reasonable behaviour and proportionate to push someone to the ground and restrain them?
“And then there’s the behaviour in the shop: ‘I’m a black belt kickboxer’. And then you assaulted somebody at their work.”
Sentencing him, Sheriff Harvie converted Clark’s community payback order into six weeks of imprisonment.
For attacking the shopkeeper, he was sentenced to three months in custody. And for assaulting the woman on High Street, he was also handed three months.
The orders will be served consecutively to his current, ongoing prison sentence.
It was never confirmed during the hearing if Clark actually holds a black belt in kickboxing.