Bungling brothers who broke into a hotel were stopped in their tracks by the have-a-go hero landlord, a court heard.
Kyle Brandie, 26, and his 22-year-old brother Ryan could be seen on CCTV at the Brackla Hotel in Nairn.
But they disturbed hotelier Andrew Brown, who tackled the pair in his dressing gown and slippers.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, Kyle was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Ryan was jailed for a year.
The confrontation was filmed on Andrew Brown’s pub CCTV as he tried to restrain one of the brothers.
At a previous hearing, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood was shown the footage of the October 30 incident, where Mr Brown grabs one of the two men who were dressed in hoodies and wrestles him to the ground, retaliating as punches are thrown at him.
The Sheriff then commented: “It looks like a fairly robust response.”
Then the CCTV shows Mr Brown being pushed to the ground and a chair thrown at him as the brothers make good their escape.
Kyle, of Millburn Road, Inverness, and Ryan, of Assynt Road, previously admitted stealing a key, breaking into the hotel with intent to steal and assaulting Mr Brown. Both also admitted previous convictions.
Defending, Neil Wilson said yesterday: “My client failed to attend last month for sentence after receiving some fairly blunt advice from me and ran away, rather than face the prospect of being taken away.
“When he is not on drink or drugs, he presents as a pleasant young man and for a spell did well working in a charity shop.”
Ryan’s solicitor Clare Russell said: “Two days prior to this incident, his partner passed away and he hit the drink, as he puts it.
“His motive was to obtain more alcohol.”
At an earlier hearing, fiscal depute Fraser Matheson told the court: “The two brothers were in the pub and took the opportunity of stealing a key.
“After they made off, the police were called and Mr Brown gave a statement. Ryan Brandie was traced and arrested and a warrant was later issued for his brother.”
Sheriff Fleetwood said: “This was a break-in to commercial premises with intent to steal and your reaction when disturbed is disturbing.”
