A violent clubber bottled and repeatedly punched another reveller in the middle of a nightclub dancefloor because he accidentally bumped into a woman.
Paul Coates, from Glenrothes, took umbrage at a group of males who twice bumped into him and the woman he was with at Club Tropicana in Aberdeen.
The 31-year-old grabbed and punched his victim from behind before hitting him on the head with a glass bottle.
As the man fell to his knees in agony, Coates continued the vicious assault, repeatedly punching him until he was pulled away by shocked onlookers.
Depute fiscal David Rogers told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the assault happened at the Little Chapel Street nightclub just before throwing out time, at 2.55am on March 31 2018.
He said at around 2.40am a group of clubbers dancing nearby “inadvertently bumped into” Coates and a female but immediately apologised.
But when it happened again 15 minutes later, Coates turned violent.
Struck man on head with glass bottle
“At around 2.55am the witness stepped back onto her by accident,” the fiscal said.
“On seeing this the accused grabbed him by the collar from behind and punched him to the head from behind. He then hit him to the head with a glass bottle.
“The man dropped to his knees and the accused continued to punch him to his head repeatedly.
“The accused had to be pushed away.”
Coates also “threw a few punches” at another man from the group who tried to halt the assault.
He was pulled off of his victim, who suffered small cuts to his head, while door security staff contacted the police.
Coates, of Ravenswood Drive, Glenrothes, admitted two charges of assault to injury.
‘Ashamed and embarrassed’
Defence agent Tony Burgess said Coates had previously rounded on the group and “asked them to stop capering” as his female dance companion was being trodden on.
“There was some hostility by the group and that unsettled Mr Coates,” the solicitor said.
“On the second occasion, he wrongly took the opinion that they were getting back at him for the hostility on the first occasion.
“Instead of simply walking away he rose to the challenge.
“Things very quickly developed into the physical actions described.
“He is ashamed and embarrassed.”
Since ‘matured’ behind bars
The court also heard how Coates, who was jailed for another matter shortly after this offence, originally plan to plead self-defence before changing his plea before a trial.
“It’s clear he has moved on from the immature way of life he was living prior to him receiving a custodial sentence shortly after this offence,” his solicitor added.
Sheriff Robert McDonald warned Coates: “I am told there were minor injuries but with that sort of assault there could have easily been serious injuries.
“Hitting somebody over the head with a bottle is a very serious form of assault in my view.”
As a direct alternative to custody, he handed Coates a one-year supervision order and a curfew for the next 108 days.
