Joker assault is no laughing matter

A man has been left seriously injured in Aberdeen after he was assaulted by a person dressed as the Joker in a “brutal, unprovoked attack”.

The 20-year-old suffered serious facial injuries and had to be treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the attack at Langstane Place about 11:30pm on Saturday.

The male suspect was dressed as the Joker from Batman and was wearing white face paint with a lipstick smile along his cheeks, a purple suit jacket and trousers, white shirt and black shoes.

Before the attack, the assailant was seen socialising with a man dressed in a black cape and another man in a grey boiler-suit with a mask and a wig at a bar on Belmont Street.

Police said he tried to fight with people in Langstane Place and across from St Nicholas Cemetery before attacking the 20-year-old man near Bon Accord Street.

Police Constable Eamonn Ryan said: “I appreciate the bizarre circumstances surrounding this incident. However, the reality is this person carried out a brutal, unprovoked attack on a member of the public and they need to be held accountable for their actions.

“Do you know anyone who went out for Halloween weekend dressed as the Joker? Just one punch can have fatal consequences and I don’t think I need to stress that violent behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated.”