An Arbroath man has been jailed for six months and banned from a town bar for a year after a festive season attack on his ex-partner and a male who tried to act as a peacemaker.
Hayden Murray put the woman over her shoulder before carrying her down the stairs of the busy Coast premises in the town at the end of a Boxing Day party.
He was thrown out of the premises by security staff but tried to get back to the woman and when another man stepped in, Murray repeatedly punched him in the face.
Murray, 20, of Warddykes Road, Arbroath appeared before Sheriff Alastair Brown at Forfar where he admitted two charges of assault at the Gravesend bar and restaurant on December 27.
Depute fiscal Laura McGillvery said the accused’s former partner had arrived at Coast with friends at around 11pm on December 26 and Murray was already there.
“Things were fine between them, but between midnight and 3am there was a falling out. She attempted to avoid him but he persistently said he wanted to speak to her,” the fiscal added.
Security stepped in as the argument became heated and Murray pushed the woman, causing her to hit her head on the bar and her nose to bleed.
The court then heard he picked her up over his shoulder and carried her down the stairs, despite her efforts to grab on to a handrail to stop him.
The fiscal added: “He put her down but wouldn’t let go. He was ejected from the premises but attempted to approach her again.”
At that point the male complainer stepped in to try to prevent a further altercation and Murray punched him in the face, causing him to slip and then hitting him several more times.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said Murray was currently subject to a Community Payback Order imposed in relation to another assault case.
“He presents today as a mild, timid young man, which is clearly not the presentation in situations such as this when he has been drinking,” said Mr Rennie.
Sheriff Brown told the accused the accused was a serious matter, aggravated by several factors including it happening in the licensed premises.
“You have a propensity to lash out,” said the sheriff.
“The public deserve to be protected and you were well out of order on this occasion. I don’t think there is any proper alternative to imprisonment.”
