A 30-year-old man will sentenced on Christmas Eve after admitting seriously assaulting one of his friends in the street.
The trial of Christopher Branley, described as an Inverness prisoner, had just entered its second day when he changed his plea mid-morning.
He was originally charged with attacking Mark MacDonald with a bottle, striking his head off a wall to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
But his lawyer, Graham Mann, confirmed to Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald that he and fiscal depute David Morton had agreed a plea to a reduced charge. Not guilty pleas to two charges of threatening behaviour were also accepted.
Branley then pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr MacDonald in Kingussie High Street outside the Tipsy Laird public house on March 1 this year by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and striking his head off the road to his severe injury.
Mr Mann said: “My client has a record but the last time he served a significant custodial sentence was back in 2007.
“His circumstances have changed since then. He is now a father of three and further information may be helpful to the court. However I am not suggesting that anything other than a custodial sentence would be appropriate in this case.
“He is not applying for bail.”
The court heard that Branley had been in custody since July 19 for the offence.
Sheriff Macdonald told Branley that it was likely that a custodial sentence would be imposed.
