A Highland League footballer played in a charity match to honour his dead team-mate then got involved in a drunken brawl with a group of teenagers.
At Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, 27-year-old Gary Kerr, of Cauldeen Road, Inverness, who played for Nairn County and now turns out for Rothes, escaped a jail sentence for three assaults to injury.
As an alternative, Sheriff Margaret Neilson ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work and be under social work supervision for a year.
The incident happened on October 9 in Nairn’s High Street just hours after a memorial match to former Nairn player Calum Riddell who died of a brain tumour at the age of 28.
The court was told that Kerr had got very drunk with other players.
Fiscal depute Ross Carvel said a friend of Kerr’s made a comment which was misheard by a teenager nearby.
The teenager challenged Kerr’s pal who then punched the youth, knocking him unconscious for approximately 30 seconds as he hit his head on the ground, Mr Carvel went on.
“He came to, was confused and bleeding. A friend who was aged 16 called an ambulance as he has suffered cuts and bruises. A call was also made to the victim’s friends.”
The court heard that when the youth’s friends were arrived on the scene “there was a stramash involving all of them ensued.” Mr Carvel added.
Mr Carvel said that Kerr, who was so drunk he was struggling to walk, then punched one teenager on the head and a second when he tried to put Kerr to the ground. Both were injured as a result, Mr Carvel went on.
Defence solicitor Clare Russell said her client admitted previous convictions, which included one of serious assault..
She added: “My client has been an engineer for the past 10 years and is in a stable relationship. He is also a semi-professional footballer and had taken part in a charity match that day for a team-mate who had passed away.
“After the match, he and his team-mates went out and consumed a significant amount of alcohol. That is no excuse but it is an explanation.
“Provocation was accepted by the Crown for the initial incident then there was a scuffle between Mr Kerr and others.
“He is well aware that given his significant previous conviction, custody will be at the forefront of the court’s mind.
“But he knows he has let himself down having changed his lifestyle since that incident.” Miss Russell went on.