A young man has been told his violent behaviour could “affect his whole future” after he admitted attacking his girlfriend and two of her friends as they made their way home from the pub.
Samuel Milne, 20, turned on the group following a night out at Murdo’s Bar in Aberdeen – attacking all three at separate points as they tried to intervene to help each other.
When police turned up they found Milne with a male friend in a headlock on North Anderson Drive.
He was warned by a sheriff that if his behaviour continues he could be locked up.
Accused punched partner’s friend when she tried to intervene
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how as the friends walked home at around 1am Milne began to shout aggressively at his girlfriend before grabbing her hood and pulled her forward, which caused her to stagger.
Fiscal depute David Ballock told the court that the woman “screamed and became distressed”.
He added: “The accused then put her in a headlock and dragged her into the street.
“She was physically upset and her female friend tried to intervene and took hold of her arm.
“The accused then turned and punched her in the head, causing a two-centimetre gash on the right-hand side of her neck, which was bleeding.
“The accused then made his way over to his girlfriend and pinned her down on the ground by her arms.”
A male within the group then approached Milne and attempted to calm Milne down, which resulted in the 20-year old punching him in the head and body.
As police arrived they found Milne with the man in a headlock and a visible gash on his neck.
He was cautioned and charged.
Milne, who was representing himself, pleaded guilty to three charges of assault.
He gave no response when asked why he committed the offences by Sheriff Margaret Hodge.
She told him: “I’ll be frank with you, you’re potentially heading for quite a lot of trouble here.
“Can I explain to you – just in case it hasn’t occurred to you – that punching people, particularly on the head, can result in serious injury or, frankly, worse.
“People can die. Not just from the punch but because they can fall and hit their head on the pavement.”
‘It is almost becoming a pattern and this could affect your whole future’
Sheriff Hodge mentioned that Milne had committed “a very similar incident” in June when he was fined £200 for an attack on his girlfriend at the same location.
She added: “You attempted to blame your girlfriend then for what happened and now you have done that here within your social work report. It is quite clear you don’t accept responsibility.
“The concern is that these are violent offences fuelled by alcohol and you’ve committed these acts in a short period of time.
“It is almost becoming a pattern and this could affect your whole future.
“If this continues there is the possibility of you being sentenced to a custodial sentence because these are violent offences.”
Sheriff Hodge sentenced Milne, of Provost Rust Drive, to a structured deferred sentence for six months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen, as well as the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group HERE.
