Assault by Thurso man resulted in a broken nose for victim Wick Sheriff Court has heard
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A Thurso gym owner admitted headbutting a man at the Skandi's nightspot.
The assault on December 27, 2019 occurred as a "crush" of people queued to collect their belongings from a cloakroom around 4am.
Fiscal David Barclay told Wick Sheriff Court there was some "pushing and jostling" by patrons keen to get their belongings and leave.
He said that CCTV did not record the actual incident but that Graeme Rosie, of Gunn Court, Thurso, was standing in front of another man and there was a sudden movement by the accused who turned towards him.
Mr Barclay added that the broken nose was successfully manipulated back into place by doctors a week later without the need for surgery.
Natalie Paterson claimed that Rosie had been provoked by the other man who had pushed the accused "two or three times" before words were exchanged immediately prior to the assault.
Miss Paterson told Sheriff Robert Frazer that the consequences for Rosie's business would be "devastating".
She said that he intended starting martial arts class for children in his gym and a conviction would appear in the disclosure to the authorities.
She invited Sheriff Frazer to take the unusual step of giving Rosie an absolute discharge, meaning there would be no record of the conviction.
Sheriff Frazer, however, rejected the plea saying that it did not meet the necessary criteria and commented: "This is an assault by headbutting someone as a result of which someone sustained a broken nose."
The case was continued until November 17 for a background report which the sheriff will consider before passing sentence on Rosie, a first offender.