Two soldiers have been warned they could be locked up for carrying out a homophobic attack in Inverness.
Ian Mulroy and Thomas Howells targeted a man heading home from a night out December last year.
Howells pushed the man’s chips in his face and called him homophobic slurs before Mulroy knocked him to the ground and kicked him.
The pair appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court where Mulroy, 19, admitted assault to injury, while Howells, 19, pled guilty to a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
Both charges included an aggravation relating to sexual orientation.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told the court that the incident occurred in the early hours of December 22.
She said the victim had been enjoying a night out with another person and was on his way home at around 3am when he was targeted.
She said: “They had left Johnny Foxes and had walked to Max’s takeaway before continuing towards the High Street so that they could get a taxi.
Accused used homophobic slurs
“Mr Howells went up to them both and forcefully pushed [the complainer’s] chips into his face while making derogatory comments, shouting and calling him a ‘f****t’ and a ‘p**f'”.
Ms Poke said that the witness “backed away” from the pair.
“It was at this point that the accused Mulroy has gone on to assault [the complainer], a completely unprovoked attack, he is not known to this witness, as libelled,” she added.
The charge detailed how Mulroy repeatedly punched his victim on the head, forced him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him on the body.
The attack was caught on CCTV and when police arrived at the scene they spoke with both accused.
The complainer was left with painful ribs, which were suspected, but not confirmed, to be broken.
He also sustained a burst nose and lip and had mild swelling to his face and head.
‘You should both be thoroughly ashamed’
The court heard that the pair, who were accompanied to court by a senior officer, are both currently serving in the armed forces.
Mulroy is based at Wellington Barracks in London and Howells at Somme Barracks in Catterick, North Yorkshire.
Calling for pre-sentencing reports Sheriff Gary Aitken told the pair that this kind of behaviour was “not something that the court takes lightly” adding that a custodial sentence was “uppermost” in his mind.
He said: “Behaviour of this kind is utterly unacceptable, you should both be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.”
