'Nasty' Alness attack leads to man being jailed
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The victim of a vicious assault by a man and a woman was able to identify his attackers leading to their arrest shortly afterwards.
Shaun Macleod was sitting on a bench on the High Street, Alness, drinking alcohol when 32-year-old Lewis Mackay and 33-year-old Charlene Seel crossed the road and approached him.
At an earlier hearing, fiscal depute Robert Weir told Inverness Sheriff Court: "Seel appeared angry and was waving her arm around. She punched him and then dragged him off the bench. She was throwing punches and kicks and Mackay was punching him. He was cowering trying to prevent the blows from landing and he fell to the ground.
"But she continued to kick him. He did not return any punches. Mackay then took his jacket and a bag off the bench and ran off. Police were called and Mr Macleod was able to name his attackers and they were later arrested.
"His injury was an old wound from a previous assault which had been re-opened. When Mackay's property was searched, a knuckleduster was found," Mr Weir added
Mackay of Burnside, Alness had admitted the assault and theft and possession of an offensive weapon. Seel of Milnafua, Alness also admitted the assault and sentence was deferred for a background report.
Mackay's solicitor advocate Clare Russell said her client had been on remand since April 19, 2023.
She added: "He has a history of substance abuse but in 2020 he was doing well until his mother became ill and he had a relapse.
"He was under the influence at the time of this offence. There was a history of friendship between him and Mr Macleod and then it wasn't so friendly."
Seel's solicitor advocate Mike Chapman told the court: "There was a difficulty between her and Mr Macleod as he had earlier inflicted an injury to her hand and that was why she behaved in this way."
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald jailed Mackay for 13 months backdated to April 19, saying: "This was a nasty assault and significant violence was inflicted."
She placed Seel under two years of social work supervision, telling her: "You were the main player but there is some hope of rehabilitation for you."
