An attack victim who was pinned down and punched 14 times in an Inverurie pub “played a significant part in his own downfall”, a court has heard.
Warren Young, 47, previously admitted raining punches on the man in the Drouthy Laird in an incident that was described by a sheriff as “brutal”.
But, on returning to the dock to be sentenced, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told how the victim had been threatening Young and others and challenging them to fight in the run-up to the assault.
Defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt said his client, a married father-of-two, appeared with only one previous conviction, a historic driving matter.
‘He completely loses control’
He explained Young had gone to the bar to watch a rugby match with friends before going out for food and then returning for after-dinner drinks.
Mr Woodward-Nutt said: “The complainer initially approached them and was aggressive and threatening towards all three of his party.
“The complainer asked one of his friends to step outside and fight him and was asked to leave them alone.”
Later, while Young’s friends were away from the table, the man came back and challenged Young to fight him.
Mr Woodward-Nutt said: “Unfortunately, Mr Young, at that stage, reacted in an extraordinary way he can’t rationalise.
‘Anxious and contrite’
“He completely loses control and accepts he assaulted the complainer.
“Even with the provocation by the complainer, it’s been very difficult to explain.
“The complainer played a significant part in his own downfall here.”
Mr Woodward-Nutt told the court the complainer later fought with others in the bar and ended up being arrested by police.
He said Young was “anxious and contrite” about the case and that the behaviour was “out of character”.
Sheriff Ian Wallace warned Young he could have caused the man “serious injury” and been prosecuted at a higher level.
However, he added: “I accept this specific set of circumstances was caused, to some extent, by the actions of the complainer.”
He fined Young, of Kingfisher Place, Inverurie, £1,675.
Young previously admitted a charge of assault to injury over the incident, which happened shortly after 9pm on October 29 2022.
At the earlier hearing, Sheriff Graham Buchanan commented the offence seemed like “quite extreme behaviour”, adding: “Quite brutal. A quite sustained attack.”
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