A yob who battered a stranger unconscious in a Stonehaven nightspot in an unprovoked attack has been allowed to retain his liberty.
Michael Allan’s victim was playing pool with a female friend in Zee’s Nightclub on Barclay Street when the incident took place.
Allan, 21, entered the nightspot and approached the woman, whom he knew, immediately stating he “disliked” her friend, whom he did not know.
The attacker went on to push his victim, knocking him to the floor and causing him to hit his head, before raining punches down on the stricken man.
Allan previously pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury over the incident, which happened around 11.35pm on October 15 last year.
Sentence had been deferred for reports and Allan has now returned to the dock to learn his fate.
Defence agent Kevin Longino said: “The background is significant alcohol consumption at the time.
Offence branded ‘worrying’
“That’s not an excuse. It’s a simple matter of fact.”
The solicitor explained Allan had been on a bail curfew order for a lengthy period in relation to the offence.
He said his client had since put effort into bettering himself and added: “He has a plan for his future and that’s something which one would hope would keep him out of trouble in the future.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin described the offence as “worrying”, but told Allan, of Brickfield Court, Stonehaven: “I’m persuaded, just, that I can deal with this by way of a community disposal.”
She ordered him to complete 225 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 15 months as an alternative to custody.
The court heard a detailed narrative of the offence itself at an earlier hearing.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
