Provoked striker brawled in the street
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Former Nairn County striker Gary Kerr had played in a match on October 8 for Calum Riddell who died a few days before the game took place.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard Kerr had too much to drink after the match, which was attended by hundreds of club fans, friends and family.
Solicitor Clare Russell told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that Kerr and friends went out after the match and a significant amount of alcohol was consumed. “It’s no excuse for his behaviour,” she said.
Sentence had been deferred for background reports on Kerr who has previous convictions for violence. But his solicitor asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence.
Ms Russell told Sheriff Neilson his last conviction was for a serious offence in 2014.
She said there had been no further offending between 2014 and this incident in 2017, adding: “He let himself down having changed his lifestyle in the intervening period.”
Kerr (27) of Cauldeen Road, Inverness, admitted charges of assaulting three youths after a chance meeting in Nairn’s High Street.
The sheriff accepted the guilty plea to the first assault was mitigated by provocation.
Depute fiscal Ross Carvel told Sheriff Neilson at an earlier hearing that on the night of the incident a comment was made by a friend of Kerr’s which was misheard by a 17-year-old who challenged him about what he had said.
This started an argument and Kerr intervened and punched the 17-year-old and knocked him to the ground. The teenager was unconscious for about 30 seconds and he sustained a lump to his head, a cut nose and bruising to his face.
Another youth approached Kerr about his friend being struck and he was punched on the head by Kerr. A brawl ensued and Kerr struck a third teenager with a blow.
At one stage there were nearly 30 people at the scene.
Kerr, who now plays for Rothes in the Highland League, admitted three charges of assault, although the Crown accepted the first was under provocation.Sheriff Neilson sentenced Kerr to one year supervision and 200 hours of community service, and warned it was a direct alternative to prison.
