A Perthshire man who assaulted a customer in a Dundee pub, striking him on the head while wearing a knuckleduster, was ordered to pay his victim £750 compensation.
Bruce Ronald Paton, 35, of Causeway End, Coupar Angus, was also placed on a community payback order and told to complete 210 hours unpaid work by Sheriff George Way at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The court heard that Paton was in the Westport Bar on North Lindsay Street on Saturday October 12 last year and was behaving noisily.
He was warned by a door steward about his manner and the customer also told him to calm down.
At around 10.30pm, the accused told the complainer he was causing an atmosphere and he should leave the pub.
The situation escalated and the accused punched the complainer on the left side of the head, using a knuckleduster.
The door steward then intervened and police were called.
The complainer received a one-centimetre cut to his head, the court was told.
Solicitor George Donnelly said his client was in the bar and being noisy.
He said: “The complainer, who was nothing to do with the public house, somehow got involved and it resulted in the assault, which is admitted.
“It was at the lower end of the scale, there are no previous convictions and he is married with children.
“Mr Paton is mortified he has become involved in this.”
Paton’s position was that he had not gone into the bar with the knuckleduster and had picked it up during the fight.
Sheriff Way told Paton: “These are somewhat curious circumstances and the complainer didn’t make too much of it, however I must impose a punishment and this is a direct alternative to custody.
“If you ever again are tempted to use any kind of weapon in any situation you will never again get the sympathy of the court. You have to control your drinking.”