A man who high-fived his friend after carrying out a brutal attack on a stranger in Aberdeen city centre has been spared jail.
Gary Stewart left a nightclub on Langstane Place with friends when he came across Christopher McCormick and his friends.
An argument broke out, and Stewart lashed out – landing a single punch that resulted in Mr McCormick needing facial surgery.
Man high-fived friend after carrying out devastating attack in Aberdeen city centre
One of Mr McCormick’s friends came out of the takeaway to find him lying on the ground and saw Stewart high-fiving one of the people he was with.
Stewart was later identified and detained by the police who found he had boasted of “punching someone” on Whatsapp.
The court previously heard that Mr McCormick suffered from anxiety and nightmares about the incident.
Stewart, 28, previously admitted the September 4 offence and returned to Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced yesterday.
Defence agent Iain Hingston urged Sheriff William Summers to spare his client jail.
He said: “When he has been in my office he has been in tears when he discovered the extent of the injuries Mr McCormick suffered.
“He has no previous convictions and in the interim period of eight months there has been nothing further.”
Sheriff Summers put Stewart, of Usan Ness, Aberdeen, on a year-long supervision order and told him to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He told him: “Your case indicates exactly the harm that can be caused by a single punch.”
