An Angus man assaulted an intoxicated acquaintance who had “invited himself in” to his home, a court has heard.
Kieran Murray from Arbroath gave Connor Smith a split eyebrow and black eye after the complainer resisted three attempts to eject him from Murray’s home last March.
Murray, 21, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting Mr Smith in an “unusual case” after the complainer believed there was a house party going on in the town’s Weavers Close.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said the complainer had been at DeVito’s Nightclub in the town at 11pm, decided he had had enough to drink around 12.30am and opted to head home.
He “cut through” Weavers Close, where he believed the accused was having a party because of the noise and light from within.
“Due to him having known the accused for several years, he invited himself in to the party,” Mr Kermode said.
But he was stopped by Murray in the hall and told to leave.
“After a third warning the accused punched the complainer on the face, and the complainer had his left eyebrow split open, which bled,” Mr Kermode added.
Some of the blood then transferred on to Murray’s jumper, and he “became angry and demanded the complainer pay him £150”.
The accused’s mother appeared and took the complainer through to the kitchen to treat his cut.
The court heard Mr Smith left the house, went to his cousin’s home nearby and was found “crying” outside.
He received no medical treatment for the cut or his black eye.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said there had been no party but a couple of Murray’s friends had been drinking in the house while his mother was upstairs.
“He went to the hallway in little light and challenged the person, who kept walking towards him,” he said.
“He hit them and only then realised who it was.”
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio fined Murray £270.