A young islander was jailed yesterday and his friend given community service for an assault they carried out together on another man.
Darren Clark and Calum MacLean, both 19, repeatedly kicked Gregor MacIntyre on the head and body until he lost consciousness in Albany Street, Oban, on March 12.
They had previously pleaded guilty and were at Oban Sheriff Court for sentencing yesterday.
Clark, of Mill Brae, Bunessan, the isle of Mull, was sentenced to eight months in a young offenders institution while MacLean, of Catalina Avenue, was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard that Clark had previous convictions, while MacLean had only the two cases being dealt with yesterday.
The pair were also before Sheriff Ruth Anderson for an earlier offence they committed together on February 28.
They had both pleaded guilty to resisting police officers in the execution of their duty at Flat 1/1, 4 Branksome Park, Longsdale Road, Oban, by holding the door closed and preventing their lawful entry.
MacLean also admitted behaving in a threatening manner by shouting and swearing during the incident, and struggling with police as they attempted to apply handcuffs.
Both had their sentences deferred until March 28 for the Branksome Park incident.
Clark’s solicitor Jane MacLaren said he was a hard worker who had been using alcohol to deal with grief, following the death of a friend.
Speaking about the assault, she said: “There was a fight, an assault on his friend. He jumped in after his friend had been assaulted. There is no excusing the fact that he should not have jumped in.
“The author of the report does say he has expressed remorse and victim empathy.”
Sheriff Anderson said: “He is a violent drunk.”
MacLean was placed on an 18-month community payback order to run alongside his unpaid work.