A student has been fined after knocking a man unconscious for pinching a cigarette outside an Aberdeen nightclub.
Elliot Mutch appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday – where he denied a charge of butting and “repeatedly punching” Steve Cruickshank outside Exodus.
But after a trial, Sheriff Philip Mann dismissed the 26-year-old Robert Gordon University stduent’s claims he had acted in self-defence.
However, the sheriff opted to impose only a “modest” £100 fine as he criticised Mr Cruickshank’s “ridiculous” behaviour in plucking the cigarette from Mutch’s mouth and starting the trouble.
The court heard that tempers flared between the pair at 2am on Friday, November 24, just after the club closed.
Witness Jason McMillan said he observed Mr Cruickshank taking the cigarette before Mutch “ran towards” him and lashed out.
Mr McMillan later described the accused “straddling “ his victim and landing several blows to his head.
He added: “Afterwards, I took Mr Cruickshank to sit down on a bench and he lost consciousness for about two minutes, which was scary.”
Detective Constable Thomas Cameron was shown CCTV footage of the fracas, which captured Mutch punching Mr Cruickshank “about five times” before running away.
Mutch, of North Anderson Drive, argued that he only lashed out because he “totally panicked” after Mr Cruickshank dragged him to the ground.
He said: “The guy took the cigarette out of my mouth and proceeded to smoke it, I was confused as it was an unusual thing to do.
“We ended up on the ground and I realised if I didn’t get out of there quickly I was in danger because he had friends there and I didn’t.”
But fiscal Stuart Wright argued that Mutch had used too much force to justifiably claim self-defence.
