Attacker jailed for stomping on man's head outside Inverness pub
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An Inverness man who attacked a fellow pub customer when he left for a cigarette and stamped on his head several times was jailed for 16 months today.
Martin Wood will also be supervised for eight months on his release by the local authority and will have to have alcohol counselling.
The 37-year-old was described by his solicitor David Patterson as a "Jekyll and Hyde character with alcohol who had demonstrated immediate remorse when sober by asking how his victim was".
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that it was Wood's third conviction for a serious assault and Sheriff Sara Matheson ordered the supervised release "to protect the public from serious harm". The sentence was also backdated to December 23 when Wood was remanded.
The court heard that Wood, described as an Inverness prisoner, had grabbed his victim Martin Robertson by the body, threw him against a car and knocked him unconscious.
After he fell to the ground, he stamped on Mr Robertson’s head causing swelling and grazing, but no fractures.
The offence took place on December 20 last year outside the Nip Inn in Grant Street, Inverness and was filmed on the pub’s CCTV.
Wood admitted assault to injury and Mr Patterson added that his client was ashamed after seeing the footage.
Fiscal depute David Morton told the court at a previous hearing that the two men had a verbal argument in the pub and Wood was asked to leave.
“He left without issue and Mr Robertson remained within. But half-an-hour later he went outside for a cigarette and Wood was standing outside.
“He then grabbed him, threw his head against the rear of a parked car knocking Mr Robertson unconscious and causing him to fall. He then repeatedly stamped on his head.”
He added that a passer-by intervened and stopped the assault.
The court heard that when bar staff came out to see what was happening, they saw a motionless Mr Robertson.
After Wood was charged, he asked police: “How is he doing?”
Mr Patterson said: “It has to be accepted that a custodial sentence will be at the forefront of the court’s mind in view of his record of convictions. But he has made a real effort to curb his alcohol intake.
“He went to rehab and tried his best. There was a relapse here. He went for a couple of drinks and thought he could handle it."
