Thug punches girl in club

Oct 2 2009 by Lisa Boyle

A THUG who randomly punched a young woman in a nightclub has been spared a prison sentence.

Stuart Beattie was angered when he felt a drink accidentally spilled over him in the packed club.

So he turned round and whacked the person closest to him – a 19-year-old girl.

The shocking assault took place in Madisons nightclub in Ayr’s Carrick Street earlier this summer.

At Ayr Sheriff Court, Beattie admitted assaulting the woman.

Depute fiscal Maureen Simpson told Sheriff Carole Cunningham that at around 1.30am on August 2, the young woman and her pal were next to the dancefloor in Madisons.

The girl’s friend accidentally spilled some of her drink on Beattie before he turned around and suddenly punched the victim in the face.

With a burst lip, the woman left the nightclub and approached nearby cops to tell them what had happened.

Defence lawyer Peter Lockhart told the court that his client was very drunk and the nightclub was very busy.

Mr Lockhart added: “His position is that a drink and indeed a glass struck him to his back.

“He turned around and effectively punched the person closest to him.

“He accepts this was no way to behave, it was in the spur of the moment.”

Sheriff Cunningham banned Beattie from Madisons for nine months and ordered him to carry out 160 hours of community service.

He was also ordered to pay his victim £170 in compensation.

But Sheriff Cunningham warned Beattie: “This is completely unacceptable. This court gave serious consideration to a custodial sentence because this was an assault on a young lady and you have two previous convictions for assault.”