A man who attacked an unwanted party guest with a bottle has been ordered to carry out unpaid work, four years after the crime.
Sean Clark had been hit first by the man at a house on Arbroath’s Bruce Road, but reacted by grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge and striking his victim with it.
Clark, 41, of Ward Road, Dundee, appeared before Sheriff Derek Reekie at Forfar where he admitted a charge of repeatedly hitting the man with the bottle in August 2016.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said: “This seems to be isolated behaviour in terms of his record and normal conduct.
“The complainer’s behaviour was not great. He had punched him first and that provoked a reaction from my client who was under the influence, but a reaction that was disproportionate.”
Sheriff Reekie told Clark: “Hitting somebody on the head with a bottle in that way may be something that would normally attract a custodial sentence.
“Although you have a lengthy previous record, you have nothing regarding violence.
“The fact it happened four years ago is coloured by the fact that the delay (in sentencing) was caused by a number of failures to appear.
“This is at the upper end of seriousness for this sort of matter.”
Clark was ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work under a year-long community payback order.
