Jail for Inverness man who attacked friends in their home
A man who attacked a "long-time family friend" and her son in their home has been jailed for 20 months.
But Jack Mackenzie (23), of Hawthorn Drive, Inverness will be freed next month as sentence was backdated to May 16 last year, when the accused was first remanded in custody.
It was the third time Mackenzie had appeared by video link expecting to be sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court after the failure of social workers to prepare a background report on him in December and January.
However the court heard it was a case of third time lucky and Sheriff Gary Aitken perused the document before hearing from defence solicitor John MacColl, who had criticised the social work department for their failure at earlier hearings.
Mackenzie had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of assault to severe injury, one with a telescopic baton on the woman.
The court heard that Mackenzie went to a house in Caledonian Road occupied by his two friends in May last year and was welcomed with a hug by the woman.
Fiscal depute Susan Love said: "There was a knock at her door and she welcomed him in. He was a long-time family friend and she hugged him.
"She went into the living room but heard a bang. She went out and he produced a baton and hit her with it.
"He then punched her son once and he hit his head on the television set."
The court heard that the woman's son, 17 years old, was rendered unconscious.
Ms Love said that Mackenzie was "kicked between the legs but he pushed her [the woman] to the floor and hit her another twice with the baton. He told her not to tell the anyone but she phoned the police."
Sheriff Aitken was told that the woman suffered a 4cm cut to her head which had to be stapled. The boy had no serious injury.
Mr MacColl said the report made it clear that his client "is someone who can change his life and he needs to do something about this."
He added: "He is currently subject to a community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work but he was unable to start it because of this offence.
"His recollection of events is not accurate as he had taken a degree of alcohol beforehand but he was not inebriated and knew what he was doing."
Sheriff Aitken said there was no alternative to custody because it was the third time that he had "committed an offence of aggravated violence."
He added: "This offence was committed while you were on bail for the previous one."
The community payback order was left in force, so Mackenzie will have to complete it on his release.
