A man was fined £400 at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after being found guilty of assaulting a neighbour.
Richard Burnside, of Sheridan House, Upper Myrtlefield, was also ordered to pay £400 compensation to victim Sean Smith after the altercation on July 2 last year.
During the trial yesterday, it was alleged that Mr Smith, a 47-year-old lorry driver, had made obscene gestures and exposed himself towards Burnside’s house at Nairnside.
Giving evidence, Burnside’s wife Sylvia said that her husband challenged Mr Smith over his behaviour resulting in a fight between the pair.
The pair ended up in a fight with Burnside nursing a staved thumb and a cut nose and Mr Smith sporting two black eyes, an injured ear which required stitches and bruised cheekbones.
Mrs Burnside said: “He was making rude gestures and then he put his hand down and exposed himself. I went to tell my husband and he took his van down to speak to him.
“I saw Richard get out of the van and then Sean Smith jumped off the tractor over the fence and knocked my husband over. They both fell into a ditch and I couldn’t see what was happening.
“I knew there had been a fight because my husband had a cut nose and a sore thumb. He also complained about having a sore chest. I phoned the police.”
But Mr Smith and his partner’s 25-year-old son, Martin Ireland, 62 Old Perth Road, Inverness, said that they were attacked by Burnside and his son.
Mr Smith said: “I didn’t gesticulate or expose myself. I was cutting the grass when they drove up and assaulted me. They pulled me off my tractor on to the ground and began punching and kicking me.”
Questioned by defence solicitor Rory Gowans, he denied lying.
In his evidence, Burnside, 65, said: “I am not a violent man, I have never been in trouble before. My son was not there. He was in Edinburgh visiting his sister. I was not angry but disgusted by him exposing himself.”
After the case, Mr Gowans said: “We will be appealing.”
