A first offender who broke a man’s nose with a headbutt in an Angus pub has been fined £700.
Jordan Will had attended two funerals one his grandmother’s during the week of the offence in December, but could not explain the way he reacted when he was being ejected from the rear of Busby’s in George Street, Montrose.
Appearing at Forfar Sheriff Court, Will, 20, of Rowan Path, Arbroath, admitted assaulting a man on December 6 by butting him on the head to his severe injury.
Depute fiscal Robbie Brown told the court the offence happened around 1.30am and Will was initially spoken to by bar staff, but because of his attitude matters escalated. A female staff member called a male steward for assistance and Will “forcibly” brought his head forward into the man’s face.
The victim subsequently had surgery at Ninewells Hospital under general anaesthetic to reposition the bone above his nose.
Defence solicitor Robin Beattie said Will was an electrician in Arbroath, living with his parents.
“He tendered a plea of guilty to this offence at the first available opportunity,” said the solicitor.
He told the court the accused had been at two funerals that week, his grandmother’s and that of a friend.
“He has gone into the backyard of the premises and the bouncer asks him to leave and seems to have got the wrong end of the stick that there had been a fall-out between Mr Will and his girlfriend, which there had not.
“He expressed that he was willing to leave but then the bouncer began to manhandle him.
“He essentially can’t recount why he acted like this, he has never been in trouble before. He just utterly can’t give the court a reason.”
Mr Beattie added: “He is apologetic and prepared to make recompense to the complainer if the court sees fit.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray told Will: “I understand from what has been said why you might have felt upset, but to do what you did was unconscionable.”
The sheriff discounted Will’s fine of £1,000 to £700 in light of the accused’s early plea.