A 35-year-old Inverness man who was running a private security operation in Ukraine for several years mistook an innocent bystander for earlier damaging his T-shirt.
Michael Agnew, of Stratherrick Park, spotted him and his two friends on the High Street and as he rushed bare-chested past him while carrying his T-shirt, he turned back and pushed his helpless victim on the chest on the night of June 14, 2023.
• More court news
• Sign up for our free newsletters
This resulted in the man falling to the ground knocking him unconscious and bleeding heavily from a wound to the back of his head.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Agnew, who admitted assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment, then went to help the casualty’s friend apply first aid and waited for police to arrive.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said these details were “weighty” in his decision not to jail Agnew who was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay his victim £2500 in compensation.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told the sheriff: “The accused appeared remorseful and upset, saying he was unsure why he had assaulted the man.
“When police arrived, the accused was sitting on the pavement and said: ‘I did it.'”
Agnew’s victim required seven stitches, leaving a scar to his head and he still suffers concussion symptoms which may require an MRI.
Defending, Marc Dickson said his client was now moving into the IT sector, possibly in Germany and would not be returning to Ukraine.
He added: “He bitterly regrets pushing him but subsequently no scan was actually required and no acute injury was caused.”