Two men have been fined for their part in fight a sheriff said was “like something out of A Clockwork Orange”.
Blaine McNally, from Arbroath, and Ben McNeil, from Montrose, both 19, were involved in a “fracas” involving two large groups of men.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard both men admit charges of assault to injury stemming from the incident on May 4 this year.
Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy said the complainers and the accused had been out drinking in different groups in the Arbroath area.
“At about 9.05pm the complainers left the pub and they heard a voice behind them,” she said.
“It wasn’t from the accused, it was a third party. They then saw a group of 10 males, all in boiler suits, walking behind them.”
An argument broke out between the two groups, followed by a skirmish, in which McNeil punched a man twice on the face, while McNally pushed another and punched him twice on the head.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said the incident sounded like “quite a large fracas”.
“It does sound like something out of A Clockwork Orange,” he added.
Solicitor Bob Bruce said: “It does, but it’s not as sinister as that.”
On behalf of McNally, a service engineer at Michelin, Mr Bruce added: “They only got involved as others were being attacked.
“My client is not the type of lad who would go out looking for trouble.”
Defending McNeil, solicitor Lynsey McLeod said her client works in a supermarket.
She added: “There had been an argument earlier and my client jumped in. Everything was over and done with in seconds, rather than minutes.”
McNally, of Burnside, Arbroath, admitted assaulting a male in Catherine Street on May 4 by repeatedly punching him to the head, to his injury. McNeil, of Lochside Crescent, Montrose, admitted assaulting another male on the same date and place, pushing him over and repeatedly punching him to his injury.
Fining both men £200, Sheriff Murray said: “I take into account your record and the early plea, and that you didn’t go out looking for trouble. Having said that, you still can’t go around punching people.”
Anthony Burgess wrote A Clockwork Orange with the premise future society breaks down while roaming gangs of costumed youths fight one another.