An oil and gas worker who broke a DJ’s eye socket with one punch has been ordered to pay the injured man compensation.
Matthew Sullivan, 34, got into an altercation with William Latif in the men’s toilets at popular Aberdeen nightspot Drummonds.
Following the argument, Sullivan then walked up to Latif at the bar and viciously punched him in the face, fracturing his eye socket and cheekbone.
When he was later questioned by police, Sullivan was unable to explain why he did it, other than he was very drunk.
Altercation in toilet
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told the court that at around 10.30pm on March 18 2023, Mr Latif, a DJ at Drummonds, and another member of staff were off-duty and socialising in the Belmont Street bar.
Sullivan was also in the bar with friends and the group was “heavily intoxicated,” Ms Spark said.
Around an hour later, Mr Latif was in the toilet when he saw a group of Sullivan’s friends giving the toilet attendant a hard time.
A friend of Sullivan’s had dropped a toilet roll down the toilet and had been asked to retrieve it by the toilet attendant, but had refused.
Mr Latif was using the urinal at the time and told Sullivan’s friend that he worked at the venue and would have asked him to remove it.
Broken eye socket and cheekbone
“The males then challenged William Latif and directed expletives at him, including ‘who the f*** are you?'” Ms Spark said.
“He ignored them and left the bathroom, returning to the bar area.”
Soon after Mr Latif saw the group approach the bar and heard something shouted in his direction.
Without warning, Sullivan then pushed past people and launched himself at Mr Latif, punching him once in the face and connecting just under his left eye.
“He was forced back against the wall and felt dazed but he did not lose his footing or lose consciousness,” Ms Spark said.
Sullivan was pulled back and taken out of the bar by his group of friends.
Upon attending Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Mr Latif was medically assessed and found to have fractures to his left eye socket and left cheekbone.
He also had several small lacerations under his eye that required to be glued shut.
Days later, Sullivan was arrested by police and, upon being interviewed, could not explain why he had punched Mr Latif, other than he had been intoxicated.
Sullivan, an offshore worker, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and causing severe injury.
‘This has served as a wake-up call’
Defence solicitor Debbie Ginniver told the court that her client “accepted full responsibility for the offence”.
She added: “Mr Sullivan has never shied away from his behaviour on that night.
“He has expressed regret about his actions but, because of the consumption of alcohol, he does not have a clear recollection of the evening and has never been able to provide an explanation for it.
“Mr Sullivan had got himself into a pattern of drinking heavily when he was back onshore and this has served as a wake-up call to him.”
Sheriff Ian Miller told Sullivan that his actions had “crossed the custody threshold” but that he believed he could make a community order instead.
As an alternative to custody, Sheriff Miller made Sullivan, of Lee Crescent North, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 12 months.
He also ordered Sullivan to pay £1,500 compensation to Mr Latif.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
