An army veteran has admitted attacking a clubber while working as a doorman at a Montrose nightspot.
Callum Owens appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and pled guilty to assaulting the reveller outside the Utopia on May 28.
The 45-year-old accepted he had “overstepped the mark”.
Sheriff Derek Reekie was shown security footage which captured the altercation that occurred minutes before midnight.
Owens, who has served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, was caught on CCTV pushing his victim into railings outside the George Street venue.
He is then seen bringing the man to the ground, before raining punches down onto him.
Pushed onto railings
Fiscal depute Jill Drummond told the court: “The accused is one of the door staff.
“The complainer had been told he was not being granted entry, due to matching a description given to door staff at Sharkey’s Bar.”
The man said he was confused and did not know what he had done wrong.
Owens pled guilty to assaulting the man by pushing him on the body, causing him to stagger backwards into railings, before lunging towards him and repeatedly punching him on the body.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “The information received was that the complainer had been causing trouble in another pub.
“During the course of the confrontation, the complainer has spoken to the accused.
“The accused makes a gesture for him to simply leave the area. He doesn’t do that.
“The complainer’s hands remain in his pockets throughout.”
Mr Rennie said: “The accused was concerned, because of what he had been told and his demeanour, that he had something in his hands.”
Suffering from PTSD
The solicitor explained his client had served in three warzones and worked in private security for various governments.
He continued: “He’d only been in this job about a year.
“At the time, he had a diagnosis of PTSD.
“He’d opened a gym just prior to Covid, but that failed because of the pandemic.
“He had to get other work.”
Mr Rennie said: “He’s given up the security work, he’s on benefits currently.
“There was no injury. He was trying to get him to move on – he accepts he overstepped the mark.
“The complainer got up and went on his way.
“He’s had this hanging over him, and it has not helped his mental health.”
Attacker ‘felt threatened’
Sheriff Reekie fined Owens £500.
The sheriff labelled the incident “an unfortunate way to end a very short career.”
He added: “Particularly, I take into account your background and you have no previous convictions of any concern.
“I accept you maybe felt threatened but clearly you were in the upper hand.
“I can see that the chap was possibly persisting in trying to get in.
“You accept you overstepped the mark.”
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