Celtic fan knocked out man with single punch
A FOOTBALL thug who knocked a man out with a single punch outside a supporters club in Greenock after a match is facing a jail term.
Marc Hughes landed a blow to the head of his victim, rendering him unconscious after he fell to the ground in front of the Celtic club on Laird Street.
The injured man was taken to hospital and suffered multiple facial fractures following the attack on April 30 last year, Greenock Sheriff Court heard.
Hughes, 34, pleaded guilty to the assault to severe injury, having originally been charged with stamping on the man’s head to the danger of his life.
He also admitted to assaulting another man, who is an older relative of the first victim, by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the body.
The violent incident was captured by nearby CCTV cameras and footage was shown to the court.
Hughes, who was wearing a long-sleeve Celtic top on the day of the team’s 1-0 Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Rangers at Hampden, was seen entering a takeaway next door to the premises in the afternoon before returning shortly before midnight to carry out the assaults.
The first victim, who was kept in hospital overnight for observation but has since made a full recovery, was seen lying on the pavement after being struck and was unresponsive while a group of witnesses tended to him.
The other victim was uninjured, the court was told.
Lawyer David Tod, representing Hughes, said: “He has always accepted that he is the person who was responsible.
“He is an individual who is reasonable to deal with.”
Sheriff James Varney told Hughes: “This is a particularly serious offence on indictment.
“You have not been before the courts at this level before.
“This was an horrific assault where that person was lying on the ground for at least a minuteand-a-half
and it appeared to come from just one punch.
“I really struggle to understand why there would be any alternative to custody in a case like this.”
Sentence was deferred until May 3 for background reports and Hughes, of Buchanan Street, was allowed bail until then.