An Easter Ross man has been jailed after admitting assaulting a young boy.
The primary school age child suffered bruising to his upper arm and scratches to his face in the attack by Lee Blackburn.
Blackburn, 38, of 54 Burnside, Alness, admitted assaulting the boy at an address in the town on March 21 this year by picking him by his clothing, striking him on the head and body and forcing him to the ground.
Blackburn also admitted two separate charges of breaching bail conditions by contacting a woman on various occasions.
The court heard that Blackburn had been drinking before the incident and had “lost his cool” with the boy.
Fiscal depute Stewart Maciver said: “He lifted the boy up by his clothing and put him forcefully back to the ground.
“The boy suffered a couple of scratches on the face and there was a prominent bruise on his arm above the elbow.”
Mr Maciver said the boy was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment.
The fiscal told the court that Blackburn was granted bail on April 17 but had then breached his conditions by contacting a woman by text message and in person between April 6-14.
He had signed an undertaking not to contact the woman during his March court appearance.
He was granted bail but then breached the conditions by contacting the woman again on May 2 at Obsdale Hill in Alness.
Blackburn’s agent, solicitor Alison Foggo, said her client was “extremely remorseful” about his actions and had shown a “degree of insight” about how to change his behaviour.
Sheriff Noel McPartlin jailed Blackburn for four months for assaulting the boy and a further month for breaching his undertaking.
The sheriff said: “You have shown a complete disregard for the undertaking you signed up for, but altogether more serious is the issue of the assault.
“That is completely unacceptable.”