A Forfar man with 30 previous convictions was jailed by a sheriff for a golf club assault on a neighbour.
Alan Fleming knew his victim but saw red when the man taunted him and lashed out with the weapon when he confronted the complainer in August last year.
The attack left the man with injuries to his head, face and hand and although they were not serious, a sheriff said the offence was of such gravity it could only be dealt with by a prison sentence.
Fleming, 55, of Glenmoy Terrace in Forfar, had earlier admitted the assault in the same street on August 23 when he repeatedly struck the man on the head and body with the golf club.
Depute fiscal Hannah said that around 2.30pm the complainer was at home when Fleming started banging on his door in an incident witnessed by others, including a nearby building site worker.
“The complainer stepped on to the landing, became aware that the accused was in possession of a golf club and he was struck on the hands as he attempted to defend himself but he was also hit on the head and body,” she said.
“The victim sustained scratches and soreness to his face and head and the knuckles on his left hand were cut where he tried to deflect the blow,” added the fiscal.
The court heard both the victim and the nearby worker dialled 999. Fleming had left the scene but was later detained by police officers and made no reply to the charges.
Defence agent Bob Bruce said his client spent a lot of time visiting his elderly parents and regretted the incident.
The accused also suffers from a variety of medical conditions, including sciatica and arthritis and has suffered from depression.
“This was a friend of his and he advises me that they have shaken hands and consigned this episode to history,” he told the sheriff.
“When Mr Fleming went past the victim’s house there were various taunts. He saw red and there was a golf club, which he picked up.
“As your lordship has often remarked, Mr Fleming is getting too old to appear in court for this sort of behaviour but he has been on a curfew for eight months and adhered to it.”
Jailing Fleming for 120 days, Sheriff Veal said: “He remained on the curfew because he maintained pleas of not guilty right through this. If he had admitted it, it would have been well behind him by now.”
“I taking into account the time he has spent on curfew but note that he has 30 previous convictions and an assault with a golf club is a very serious matter. This offence merits custody.”
Fleming had been previously criticised from the bench as being among a group of people whose failure to keep criminal justice appointments was disrupting the running of the court in Forfar.
At an earlier appearance his solicitor pledged Fleming had given up drink and drugs.