Man who head-butted shopkeeper in Inverness given community work chance

An Aviemore man who head-butted an Inverness shopkeeper was given a further opportunity to stay out of jail after he began cooperating with social workers.

Jason Mullen appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after previously admitting the assault in Crown Stores, Kingsmills Road, Inverness, committed on December 31, last year.

But on the previous court appearance, Sheriff Margaret Neilson was not impressed by the 19-year-old’s attitude to the social worker who interviewed him.

She noted that he had a “couldn’t care less attitude” about what may happen.

The Sheriff told Mullen, of Milton Crescent: “It is time you grew up. It is pathetic what you said in the report. It is a shocking report.”

The court heard that Mullen still had 200 hours of a current community payback order (CPO) to complete and that he had breached a restriction of liberty order by removing his electronic tag.

The court was told by defence solicitor David Patterson when his client appeared before Sheriff Gary Aitken: “The underlying reason for his offending is substance and alcohol misuse. But his attitude towards the order has improved and he is fully engaging now. There also has been no reoffending since.

“Perhaps allowing the order to continue for a review down the line may be appropriate, I think the threat of jail has been responsible.”

Sheriff Aitken allowed the CPO to carry on, but called for a review on July 22, but he also warned Mullen that a custodial sentence is almost inevitable if he breached the order again.