An Inverness man who attacked a lorry driver leaving him with a broken leg and a black eye was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.
Victim Gavin Hackett was outside the Innes Bar on the city’s Innes Street, when he was struck once on the head and knocked to the ground by 28-year-old William Lovegrove after Mr Hackett made a comment about his Rangers shirt, the court was told.
Depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart had told the court at an earlier hearing that Mr Hackett claimed he challenged Lovegrove because he thought he was going to urinate on the pub door, before being punched in the face.
But yesterday, Lovegrove’s solicitor Rory Gowans said he had been approached in an Inverness bar by Mr Hackett, whom he didn’t know, and the comment was made.
Lovegrove then went to the Innes, Mr Gowans said, but was followed by Mr Hackett.
Mr Gowans added: “He told him to stop, and asked the barman to get him to stop and eventually he punched him.”
Lovegrove, of 2 Anderson Court, Inverness, admitted the assault which occurred on September 7, 2013 by punching Mr Hackett on the head and knocking him to the ground to his injury.
Mr Hackett was taken to Raigmore Hospital and although he discharged himself, he returned after falling ill and the fracture was discovered.
A CT scan excluded any brain injury, Mr Urquhart said.
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