Community sentence after clash over ex partner for Inverness man
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A single punch by a man left his former workmate – who was also his girlfriend’s former partner – with a broken jaw.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Martin McEwan suffered a double fracture as a result of being attacked by Donald Manson.
But defence solicitor advocate Shahid Latif asked Sheriff Margaret Neilson not to jail his client “as the consequence of the single strike was disproportionate to the act itself.”
He added that Manson (49), of Birchview Court, Inverness, had been intoxicated at the time of the incident and had reacted to “mutterings”.
“It was spontaneous and reckless and he has expressed remorse,” Mr Latif said.
Sentence had previously been deferred for a background report on Manson who admitted assaulting Mr McEwan to his severe injury as well as previous convictions.
He was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid community work as an alternative to custody.
The court was previously told that both men had been drinking in The Keg pub in Baron Taylor’s Street, Inverness on October 18, 2018 and Mr McEwan could not remember anything after that.
Fiscal depute Alex Swain said: “Mr McEwan knew the accused as he used to work with him.
“Two to three months prior to this incident Manson and Mr McEwan’s ex-girlfriend entered into a relationship, which caused some hostility between them.”
Around half an hour after leaving the pub Mr McEwan was seen in the city’s Telford Avenue lying on the ground with Manson holding him down, Ms Swain went on.
She added that Mr McEwan was punched to the head, lay on the ground motionless and did not retaliate.
An ambulance was called by witnesses and he was taken to A&E where the fractures were discovered.
Mr McEwan told police at the time he remembered seeing Manson in the bar with “his fists clenched”.
