A children’s football coach was jailed for a year yesterday after headbutting and kicking a man in the street.
Gary McIvor, 31, of Ulva Road, Oban, appeared for sentencing at Oban Sheriff Court yesterday.
He previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Christopher Tolmie in Stevenson Street, Oban, on August 22, to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
McIvor, who had been on a night out drinking, ran across the road towards Mr Tolmie, butted him on the head and then kicked him on the head after he landed on all fours on the ground.
The incident was captured on CCTV. Earlier, McIvor and another man had remonstrated with Mr Tolmie, who had also been drinking, after he kicked a road sign.
The victim was unconscious for several minutes and required four stitches to a cut on his head.
Solicitor Laura McManus said McIvor, who had no previous convictions, was a hard working family man who runs a flooring business. She produced three separate character references to his good name.
Mrs McManus said: “He is a well-regarded member of the community, especially helping those involved in youth football.
“This was completely out of character. It was fuelled by alcohol.”
She continued: “He tells me he walked on and did not look back to see the effect he had on the complainer. If he had realised the extent the complainer was affected he would have offered to help. He went home and was immediately full of remorse.”
McIvor had informed the parents of the children he coached at football of the offence. Mrs McManus said they were generally supportive of him and were prepared to accept his behaviour was completely out of character.
Since pleading guilty in December last year, Disclosure Scotland stopped him from coaching.
Sheriff Ruth Anderson said the sentence would have been 18 months, had it not been for McIvor’s early guilty plea an previous good character.
She said: “Only a custodial sentence will mark the seriousness of this particular short but vicious episode of offending.
“I recognise you to be a hard working member of the community. You are a family man who takes his responsibilities seriously and also makes a contribution to the youth in the community with many years of work in the involvement of coaching of football.
“However on that particular night under the influence of drink you ran across the road and attacked this individual by butting him on the head.
“Had you left it there you might not be in the position you are today. But him having fallen to the ground, you then persisted in the attack. You did what can best be described as a drop kick.”
