The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Drunk casino worker, aged 22, assaulted two strangers
Court: Man kicked and butted pair after day spent watching football
A football fan carried out an unprovoked attack on two strangers in Aberdeen after drinking to excess while watching the European Championship.
Casino worker Curtis McKenzie had spent the day drinking with friends on June 27 while watching the football.
But the 22-year-old subsequently headed out into the city centre and ended up attacking two men on the Upperkirkgate.
Yesterday, McKenzie appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted carrying out the unprovoked assaults.
Fiscal depute Laura Begg said that Adam McNeil and Shaun Edwards had been walking close to the Gallowgate when they noticed the accused walking behind them.
She said neither of the pair knew McKenzie and thought he was acting strangely.
Ms Begg added that the accused followed and eventually caught up with and walked alongside them.
The court heard, at that point, McKenzie started to “stare Mr Edwards out”, which the pair considered to be threatening.
Ms Begg said McKenzie then kicked Mr McNeil to the leg causing him to fall to the ground.
Mr Edwards intervened to stop his friend being attacked further and, as he stepped between the two men, McKenzie butted him.
The court heard Mr Edwards’ face started to bleed and he restrained McKenzie while the police were called.
Representing the first offender, who stays with his grandmother, solicitor John McLoone said his client was generally a “polite young man” who did not normally get into trouble. He said that, on this occasion, he had spent the day drinking with friends while watching the Euros and had “consumed a considerable amount of alcohol”.
Mr McLoone said the whole incident had been a “huge embarrassment” to McKenzie. He said McKenzie had learned his lesson after being held in custody for 12 hours before appearing in court as a result of the attacks.
He added: “There was nothing sustained in relation to the assaults. It was short-lived.”
Sentencing McKenzie, of 369 Hilton Drive, Aberdeen, Sheriff Margaret Hodge said: “You pleaded guilty to an unprovoked assault on two strangers.”
She fined him £400.