An Arbroath pub brawler was left in a coma for almost a week after a violent confrontation on Armed Forces Day.
Farm worker Ian Longmuir lost his temper with former friend Colin Davidson, who had followed him across the Central Bar in a bid to strike up conversation.
Longmuir seized him and pushed him outside, causing him to fall onto the pavement outside, cut his nose and become unresponsive.
“All hell broke loose” at that point and Longmuir himself was violently attacked.
He spent days in a coma and needed three weeks off work.
Now recovered, he has been fined for the assault, which left his victim needing stitches.
Pushed from pub
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton told Forfar Sheriff Court: “The complainer and the accused used to be friends but they had a falling out some months prior to the incident.
“On August 12 last year, the complainer was out for Armed Forces Day.
“He returned to Arbroath and attended the Central Bar.
“The complainer described himself as having a bit to drink but was not falling about.
“He states that he didn’t speak to the accused but CCTV at the locus showed the complainer and the accused speaking.
“The accused walked back to his table, the complainer followed him.
“It’s at that point the accused put his drink down, seized hold of the complainer and violently pushed him out of the door.
“This caused the complainer to fall to the ground and strike his face on the pavement.
“It caused a cut to the bridge of the complainer’s nose, which was bleeding.”
Solicitor Billy Rennie, defending, said his client had not been interested in Mr Davidson, who was “aggressively speaking to him… he decides he’s had enough and pushes him out the pub.”
Mr Rennie said Longmuir travelled two or three steps to eject his victim.
“Unfortunately, both had had a drink.
“The complainer fell. After that, the barmaid describes it as all hell breaking loose.
“He’s punched then kicked unconscious, he’s taken to Ninewells, he’s in a coma for four or five days.”
Mr Hamilton confirmed both men were “unresponsive” on the ground when police arrived.
“The complainer was taken home.
“The accused was taken to Ninewells, where he was found to have a bleed on the brain and was deemed to be an adult with incapacity for three days.”
Longmuir, 37, of Grange Path in Arbroath admitted assaulting Mr Davidson to his injury.
Sheriff Derek Reekie fined him £450, plus a £20 victim surcharge.
He said: “It obviously sounds as though you came off worse.
“That is a matter for another day by the sounds of it.
“Getting involved in violence in a public house is a dangerous activity.
“I need to deal with the matter that’s before me.
“I do take account of the fact that there seems to be an exchange initiated by the complainer, although he denied that.”
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