A teenage footballer has admitted an on-pitch attack which left a rival player requiring stitches.
The assault was one of two charges admitted by the Kirriemuir 17-year-old, who has had sentence deferred for background reports after a sheriff said the offences did not “paint him in a good light”.
The youth, who is too young to be named publicly, appeared in the dock at Forfar Sheriff Court on Tuesday where he admitted assaulting a 16-year-old at Riverview pitches, Monifieth on December 2 last year by punching him on the head to his injury.
He also pled guilty to assaulting another male in an incident in Castle Street, Forfar on January 20 this year by punching him to his injury.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode told the court the football clash had happened late in the game during an encounter between two youth sides.
A player on the opposing side got injured and, as the referee attended to him, other players got involved in a disagreement over a free kick.
Two brothers, who knew the accused only as a football player, were part of the argument and the accused punched one of them, causing his lip to bleed heavily.
The victim was taken off the pitch before attending the accident and emergency unit at Ninewells Hospital where he received four or five dissolvable stitches to the wound.
Police were subsequently contacted.
Mr Kermode said the Forfar incident happened outside the town’s Royal nightclub where the accused and his victim initially spoke to each other but an argument broke out, leading to a wrestle between them.
“The complainer pushed the accused away, resulting in the accused punching him.”
The man sustained a cut to his head but declined medical treatment.
Sheriff Gregor Murray told the teenager: “On one view in relation to what happened during the football match, fights do occasionally occur.
“On the other, it doesn’t paint you in a very good light.
“What doesn’t help is that you go along a month later and assault somebody else in Forfar.”
He deferred sentence until September 19.
