A pair of men who left a neighbour unconscious over unwelcome advances towards a female friend avoided custody on Thursday.
Robert Keith (21), of Restenneth Drive, Forfar, and Lindsay Guthrie (22), High Street, Brechin, took the man home from a night of drinking at a flat in Restenneth Drive last November.
When they got him there, they punched their victim, causing him to fall before kicking him.
The court heard the complainer was in the house socialising with the accused but, at around 1.30am, was accused of acting inappropriately towards Keith’s girlfriend. Keith took the man home but an argument broke out which the victim fell against the kerb, knocking him out. The accused made the complainer’s partner aware of the situation and an ambulance was called.
The victim suffered a temporary loss of sensation to the left side of his face.
Keith’s agent, Bob Bruce, said the accused had earlier received a phone call from the complainer’s partner saying he had assaulted her. That was followed up by the inappropriate behaviour towards Keith’s partner.
“They fully accept it should not have ended the way it did but they were dragged into it.
“Thereafter, he (the complainer) lit the blue touch paper by acting the way he did he had been at the root of two incidents.”
Sheriff Veal told the accused: “But for any substantial record, an assault of this nature would normally attract a custodial sentence.
“This is a not insignificant offence and I must make it clear that this is a direct alternative to custody.”
He imposed a 12-month community payback order on each of the accused, including supervision conditions and 130 hours’ unpaid work. In addition, Keith and Guthrie were each ordered to pay their victim £150 compensation.