TWO MORAY MEN were fined a total of £1400 when they appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court on Wednesday facing serious assault charges.
Sheriff Peter Grant-Hutchison was told that Jordan Brown and Stuart Main were drinking in the Commercial Hotel in Keith when they ran into Benjamin Rusling.
Mr Rusling was known to Main – but fiscal depute Kelly Mitchell said that there had been a previous matter between the pair that had resulted in “bad blood”. Mr Rusling left the pub with his girlfriend to get a taxi – but he was challenged to a fight by Main, who had followed them on to Legion Lane West.
The court was told that Main threw a punch before picking up a small glass and throwing it at Mr Rusling, hitting him on the head and leaving his face covered in blood. Brown became involved in the altercation when he landed a punch on Mr Rusling, who had pushed Main away from his girlfriend.
While the exchange ended with those involved shaking hands and pledging not to get police involved, Mr Rusling required hospital treatment for four stitches on a head wound – it was at that point police were called.
Both Main and Brown admitted their role in the incident and were told by Sheriff Grant-Hutchison that they would be spared a jail sentence – but warned them that they “could not afford to have any other instances like this” or it would result in imprisonment.
The Sheriff fined Main £800 while Brown was ordered to pay £600.