Here are four stories from Inverness Sheriff Court you may have missed this week.
1) Man butted innocent bystander after being refused entry to Inverness nightspot
An innocent bystander was butted in the face after a 24 year old Inverness man reacted angrily to being refused entry to an Inverness nightclub.
Christopher Barton, 24, of Essich Road, appeared at the city’s Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting Daniel Bryan on February 27 last year.
Barton also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and running away from police in the city centre three months earlier on November 13.
The court heard that the rope access technician was drunk when the assault took place. Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Barton, who admitted previous convictions, was under the influence of “something” when he obstructed and hindered police by trying to escape apprehension.
Mr Weir said that Barton had been told by door staff that he wasn’t getting in to G’s.
“He walked away and approached a man and head-butted him. There appears to be no provocation at all. Door staff saw it happen and alerted police who arrested Barton a short time later after he had run away.”
Fining him a total of £1,000, Sheriff Michael Anderson told him: “What you did was to ruin the evening of the man you assaulted and possibility his enjoyment of a night out for a long time to come.
“You have a record for this kind of thing and if you can’t hold your temper after having a drink, then you should stop drinking.
“This is your last telling and if you come to court again, you will see significant things will happen to you and your life will come to a juddering halt.”
2) Inverness man breaches bail after contacting woman
A 38 year old Inverness man who admitted breaching a bail order preventing him from contacting a woman had sentence deferred until April 13.
Graham Phimister of Rossal House, Island Bank Road, is due to re-appear for sentence on another matter on that date at Inverness Sheriff Court.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to appear for a court date which he said was a “genuine mistake.”
The court heard that Phimister had gone to the woman’s house in Rosehaugh Road and then phoned her.
3) Inverness man ‘misjudged’ alcohol level and drove
A 21 year old Inverness man who drove after ‘misjudging’ his alcohol level was fined £400 and banned from driving for a year yesterday.
Graeme Murdoch, of Morningfield Place, admitted the offence which occurred on Sir Walter Scott Drive in the early hours of March 11.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard he was two and a half times the legal limit.
His solicitor Alison Foggo said her client had been at a friend’s house and thought he had slept off the drink he had consumed.
“He misjudged the situation.” she added.
4) Highland man pursued ex and challenged her friends to fight
A 34-year-old Fortrose man who pursued his ex-partner round a number of Inverness pubs and then challenged her friends to fight was banned from approaching her for two years.
Christopher Barclay of Boggiewell, was also fined £400 at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after he admitted behaving in an abusive and threatening manner, following Florence McLeod and having an unwanted conversation with her before challenging her friends to fight on March 5 last year.
