A jealous boyfriend who punched a bum-patting pal of his partner has been given a final chance to stay out of jail by a sheriff.
Conner Simpson didn’t realise his girlfriend and the other man knew each other when he saw them joking with each other in a Montrose pub and flew off the handle.
Simpson’s solicitor said his client hoped the March offence at Steeplejacks in the Angus town’s High Street could be dealt with, but a sheriff has delayed sentencing because adding extra unpaid work hours to community orders the 19-year-old is already carrying out would put him over the maximum threshold.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told Forfar sheriff court the attack happened just after midnight when Simpson’s girlfriend was joking with another man and they slapped each other’s bottoms.
“This was seen by the accused who took great offence and threw a punch at him and caught his right eye, causing a cut and bruising,” added the fiscal. “The accused was pulled away and asked to leave.”
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said Simpson had previously been convicted of assault on indictment following another pub incident in which he had stepped in after a barmaid was assaulted.
The court heard the accused has a drink-driving conviction involving a high alcohol count.
“In relation to this, he had been out with his girlfriend, they had a falling out and she met her friend and her friend’s boyfriend.
“He came out, was not in a particularly good mood and saw this.
“There was nothing untoward in it, they were having a carry on and he lost control when he saw him slapping her bum.”
The lawyer told the court Simpson, of Condor Crescent, Montrose currently has around 100 unpaid work hours of an ongoing Community Payback Order still to complete.
Sheriff Murray told him: “Here is how close you are to going to jail.
“At any one time you cannot have more than 300 hours of unpaid work outstanding. The number of hours I have in mind would take you over that limit.
“With some reluctance I will do you a favour and defer sentence for three months. I expect you to do as many hours as you can in that time.
“If for any reason you don’t do that, then the alternative will come to you.”
