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Dad-of-three punched kindly stranger who offered to buy him drink

Mitchell Chalmers.
Mitchell Chalmers.

A dad-of-three punched a kindly stranger who offered to buy him a drink in an Aberdeen nightspot.

Mitchell Chalmers had been on an all-day drinking session which ended up in Cafe Drummond just after midnight on September 18.

The 33-year-old self-employed roughcaster got chatting to a stranger at the bar who offered to buy him a drink.

But Chalmers suddenly punched the stunned man in the face before running out of the Belmont Street venue.

Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “The complainer did not know the accused prior to this. He was out socialising with friends on September 17 within the city centre.”

‘He assumed words were had’

Just after midnight, the man was in Cafe Drummond when Chalmers and another male approached him at the bar and “engaged in casual conversation”.

Ms Thompson said: “The complainer asked the accused if he wanted a drink and the accused responded by striking the complainer to the face.”

Chalmers then ran out of the building.

His victim was left bleeding from cuts just under and above his eye.

‘Unprovoked assault on a stranger’

Chalmers, of Colsea Road, Cove Bay, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury.

Defence agent Chris Maitland said his client was “extremely intoxicated”.

He said: “He had a whole day of drinking and by the time of this he was extremely intoxicated and he can’t remember what happened or why he hit the gentleman.

“He finds it hard to believe that it was just the gentleman offering him a drink. He assumed words were had.

“He apologises profusely for the way he acted.”

Sheriff Kevin Duffy said the incident was, on the face of it, an “unprovoked assault on a stranger”.

However, he added: “I’m taking it this is an out-of-character incident and hopefully it won’t happen again.”

He fined Chalmers £420 and ordered him to pay his victim £300 in compensation.

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