A man who punched a friend twice on the head in a pub then apologised was jailed for 10 months yesterday.
Damian McAuley, 24, pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching Alexander McLeish, 46, at the Rockport Hotel, Tweedle Street, Oban, on Boxing Day.
McAuley, of Kinlochan, Ardconnel Road, Oban, also pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex partner by pushing her at 11B Miller Road on April 30 this year.
Fiscal Eoin McGinty said that Mr McLeish had been drinking at The Rockport on Boxing Day. At 5.30pm the barmaid said he would not be served any more alcohol, but made him a cup of coffee.
Mr McGinty said: “He was still there at 8pm when the accused entered with a friend and his then girlfriend.
“They knew the complainer and there was some chat between them. Around 45 minutes later the girlfriend went out for a smoke with the barmaid.
“When they returned they came in to the aftermath of a disturbance and saw the accused standing over the complainer who was at that point bleeding heavily from his face.
“The barmaid pulled the accused away. The accused at that point said ‘I’m just talking to him,’. He then said, ‘I’m sorry,’ and shook the complainer by the hand.”
McAuley was told the police would be called and he left.
Mr McGinty added: “The accused has a boxing background.
“The complainer was taken to hospital. It was suspected he had a broken nose but medical staff couldn’t confirm one way or another because the nose had been broken on previous occasions.”
The assault on his ex partner took place after a disagreement at a friend’s house, the court heard.
Solicitor Laura McManus said: “Alcohol was a factor in both of these matters.”
Sheriff Ruth Anderson accepted that the push was not a serious assault but called the punch on Mr McLeish “a vicious attack”.
She told McAuley: “Given your record and the nature of the attack on Mr McLeish, I would be failing in my duty if I didn’t impose a custodial sentence today.”
