A man claimed he was aiming for someone else when he punched a woman during a drunken rammy at an Aberdeen house party.
Randolph Ross, 29, admitted drinking a large amount of alcohol at the party on Rowlett South Road, Aberdeen where he became aggressive after an argument with another guest on January 4 this year.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that when a fight broke out in the kitchen Ross swung a punch and hit a woman – giving her a black eye.
He later claimed he was aiming the punch at another man.
Ross pleaded guilty to two charges of assault and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and throwing items around the party venue.
Accused punched woman ‘without provocation’
Fiscal depute David Ballock told the court that a large volume of alcohol had been consumed at the party and that Ross had become aggressive later in the evening.
He said: “The accused became agitated and began to throw punches while he was within the kitchen.
“One of the guests tried to calm him down, which led to a disagreement.
“Without provocation, the accused punched the woman on the face with a closed fist and those at the party then managed to hold the accused back.
“She suffered bruising and swelling to her eye as a result of the assault.”
‘Woman stepped in between the two men’
Defence agent John Hardie said Ross was unable to recall much of the incident due to his high alcohol intake.
But he added that his client did remember that an altercation had broken out between him and another man at the party.
Ross threw a punch intended for the man but the woman stepped in between the two and the punch hit her by accident, the solicitor said.
Sheriff Graeme Napier told the 29-year old that he believed the altercation and the resulting punch occurred because he “has an issue with alcohol”.
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Napier sentenced Ross, of Great Northern Road, Aberdeen, to an 18-month community payback order with a supervision requirement and ordered him to pay £250 compensation to his victim.
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