Fight outside Wick bar could have led to prison

A Wick man who committed a serous assault outside a local pub has avoided the custodial sentence a sheriff said he would have been “perfectly justified” in imposing.

Hayden Mackay was instead given an unpaid work order as a direct alternative to prison on Wednesday.

Wick Sheriff Court heard, previously, that the 25-year-old engaged in a fight with another man in a car park outside the Silver Darlings pub at The Shore, Wick, on October 2, 2021.

Fiscal depute Alison Young said that Mackay, a joiner, approached Adam Sherry and adopted “a fighting stance.” Mackay punched him repeatedly in the face and he fell to the ground. The incident, captured on CCTV, attracted a large crowd.

Solicitor Katie Stewart said there was an incident earlier in the pub involving Mr Sherry and the accused’s brother and claimed that Mr Sherry had been “aggressive”.

The disagreement moved to the car park where Mackay felt he should intervene on behalf of his brother, and he assaulted Mr Sherry.

Miss Stewart said: “Mackay has had an insight into his conduct and realises that matters should have been resolved in a better way. He recognises that he is of an age where he should not be getting involved in this sort of behaviour.”

Mackay, of Macleod Road, Wick, admitted a charge of assault and causing a breach of the peace on indictment.

Sheriff Neil Wilson said he was not going to send the accused to prison as he was a first offender and had admitted his guilt at an early stage.

But the sheriff made the point that the charge was a serious one, adding that a background report had the observation that the accused should not have stepped in on his brother’s behalf to the extent he did.

Mackay was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community work.