A customer who assaulted a strip club manager after taking issue with a transaction has ended up £1,675 out of pocket after a sheriff fined him for his behaviour.
Jamie Ross attacked the member of staff at Private Eyes in Inverness after the transaction “didn’t quite go the way he had expected”.
Ross, 40, had visited the Academy Street strip club on his birthday after drinking in city bars.
But after interacting with two of the dancers, Ross was seen “muttering to himself” before assaulting the club’s manager.
Ross appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a single charge of assault in relation to the incident on January 5 of last year.
At the earlier hearing fiscal depute Pauline Gair said Ross initially “caused no issue” at the adult entertainment venue and had been ordering alcohol and interacting with the dancers.
But after paying for, and engaging with, their services he was seen at the end of the bar “muttering to himself”.
Ross, Ferry Brae, North Kessock, then followed the bar manager to a mezzanine VIP area where he was taking payment from another customer wanting a private dance.
Customer told to leave VIP area
Mrs Gair said the manager “became aware that the accused was following him”.
She said once he finished dealing with the other customer “he was aware that the accused was still loitering nearby”.
The man asked Ross to go back downstairs and to leave the VIP area if he was not using the services there.
Ross then grabbed the man and presented a “multi-tool” at him, before he was pushed off and pinned by the arms as another staff member summoned help.
Police were called and Ross was arrested and charged with assault.
His solicitor Shahid Latif told the court Ross had spent the day helping his sister with a house move, explaining why he had the multi-tool with him.
Mr Latif said his client had split from his partner and was “depressed” when he returned to his empty home and realised “there was no one to share his birthday”.
He had taken a taxi to the city centre where he drank in various bars before ending up at Private Eyes.
“There was a transaction that didn’t quite go the way he had expected,” Mr Latif told Sheriff Gary Aitken, adding that his client had been attempting to “remonstrate with staff” before the assault occurred.
Assault was ‘out of character’
Speaking at the sentencing hearing, Mr Latif said the behaviour was “not only out of character but contrary to character”.
He said Ross was “thoroughly ashamed” and had taken steps to temper his alcohol consumption since.
Sherriff Aitken fined Ross £1,675 and told the first offender: “I sincerely hope you have learned an important lesson from this – pay a lot more attention to what is in your pockets when you go out on the town.
“Pay attention to what you drink if you can’t control your behaviour or you and others may suffer.”
He also ordered that Ross forfeit the multitool.
