A man has been jailed after a brutal attack at a Union Street bus stop which left his victim with a fractured eye socket and a broken nose.
Christopher MacDonald was leaving the Co-op store on Union Street when he got into a row with the man, who was at a bus shelter, regarding a previous incident.
MacDonald, 31, shouted at the man and repeatedly punched him to the head.
In court, MacDonald said he was “really proud” of completing a restorative justice course while on remand, looking at the impact of crime and taking responsibility.
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 5.30pm on July 27 2022.
She said MacDonald exited the store and approached the man at the stop, started shouting and “squaring up” to him.
A store security guard alerted police CCTV operators via his radio.
‘I think you should be rightly proud of that certificate’
Ms MacVicar said: “The accused proceeded to variously punch the complainer to the face with his left hand before the accused walked away towards Huntly Street momentarily.
“The security officer approached the complainer to check on him.”
However, moments later, MacDonald returned and shouted at his victim regarding an alleged previous incident.
The fiscal depute went on: “The security officer attempted to diffuse the situation.
“The accused turned to the security officer, stating similar to ‘you can be a witness’ before punching the complainer in the face a final time with his left fist.
“The accused then walked away in the direction of Huntly Street.”
His victim was found with “excessive swelling” around his right eye and a cut which was “bleeding excessively”.
He was taken to hospital and confirmed to have a fracture to his eye socket and a broken nose.
MacDonald, of HMP Grampian, admitted a charge of assault to severe injury.
Defence agent Paul Barnett said the incident started over an allegation of a previous incident, adding: “Regrettably, he assaults the man in the manner described.”
He added a court-ordered social work report was “about as positive as it possibly could be in the circumstances”.
‘I’m sorry but I’m not going to impose a community disposal today’
Mr Barnett said his client had an “extremely troubled” upbringing, spending time in foster care and a children’s home where he first used heroin aged just 15.
His first court appearance followed when he was 16 and he has struggled with substance misuse since.
However, Mr Barnett told the court that MacDonald, while on remand, had completed a restorative justice course involving looking at the impact of crime and taking responsibility.
As the solicitor showed the sheriff a certificate received for completing the course, MacDonald asked if he could get a copy of it, adding: “I’m really proud of it.”
Mr Barnett asked the court to impose a community sentence, arguing it would be more “constructive” than a jail term.
However, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told MacDonald: “I’m sorry but I’m not going to impose a community disposal today.”
She praised MacDonald’s positive attitude since the offence and said: “I think you should be rightly proud of that certificate.”
But, taking into account his previous convictions, the sheriff imposed a 16-month prison sentence, with an eight-month supervised release order.
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