Unpaid work order for Kirrie man after drunken street assaults

A Kirriemuir man has been placed on a community order with unpaid work after admitting drunken assaults.

Daniel Harper, 21, of the town’s Prosen Road, appeared for sentence before Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar having previously admitted offences including breach of the peace and punching a man and a teenager last year.

In one of the incidents, Harper had been in a group which was walking past Forfar’s Caledonian Bar and one of the party had taken a bicycle which was sitting outside the pub.

The owner confronted the group and although it was not Harper who took the bike, he became involved and punched the man on the head.

Another assault involved a punch to a 17-year-old who the court heard Harper had a family connection to.

The victim was with friends and there was some interaction between them and the group the accused was in, but Harper then became involved at the forefront of the argument.

Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said: “There is a common theme in all of these in that he is under the influence of alcohol. He is a young man and since these offences have been committed he has worked most of the winter and spring. He recognises he is going to have to address his alcohol problems.

“Individually these cases would not normally lead him to prison, but cumulatively he realises he is in difficulty,” added Mr Markowski.

Sheriff Murray told Harper: “You are clearly wanting to sort yourself out so I will give you the chance to do that.”

Harper was ordered to carry out 165 hours of unpaid work under the one-year community order.