A north-east football hooligan has been fined £400 for assaulting a man on a train on the way back from a match.
Dons fan Sami Matmati was given a two-year ban from attending matches in 2015, after running onto the track at Dens Park in Dundee and “shouting and gesturing” towards the home support.
And yesterday, the 24-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced for the assault on a train back from the Dons v Celtic match on September 29.
Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm said Matmati caught the train from the Queen Street station in Glasgow at 6.40pm that day.
She added: “Throughout the course of the journey, some other individuals were discussing football in a manner described as ‘general football banter’ but there was nothing untoward.
“At 8.50pm, the train stopped at Montrose and a Kristofer Shearer got on board.
“Shortly after that, the accused started an argument about football with somebody else on the train, and was described as being aggressive.
“The conductor and Mr Shearer attempted to defuse the situation and, at that point, the accused turned towards the victim and punched him several times on the face before walking away.”
British Transport Police were contacted and Matmati was arrested when the train got into Aberdeen.
Matmati, of Collieston Place in Bridge of Don, later pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Shearer by punching him on the head to his injury.
Defence agent Christopher Maitland said his client had “had a lot to drink” and could not clearly recall the incident.
He said: “The accused wishes to publicly apologise for his actions.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller said he was “concerned” that Matmati’s record showed two instances of football-related disorder and fined him.
