Moray courts: ‘Isolated’ but ‘intelligent’ man committed two assaults within a month

A man who committed two assaults within a month has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Szabolcs Kovacs left a 15-year-old boy with a cut lip and a wobbly tooth following a late night altercation on Elgin High Street on November 10 last year.

The town’s sheriff court heard that the 23-year-old first headbutted the teenager, then punched him in the face and body, causing his victim to fall to the ground.

Three weeks later a neighbour of Kovacs went to the front door of his flat after she heard banging coming from inside.

The court heard that the defendant responded by calling her a “**** *****“

Having returning to her own flat she then asked a male neighbour to speak to Kovacs.

Fiscal depute Shamiela Ghafar told the court that, as the neighbour approached, he observed that Kovacs “looked like he was ready to fight”.

Kovacs grabbed the neighbour by the collar with both hands, then punched him several times on the head and body while he was on the ground.

Afterwards the neighbour went to Dr Gray’s Hospital where he was treated for cuts and grazes to his arms, face and back.

Defence solicitor Megan Lee stated that her client had no previous convictions and described him as a “very intelligent and articulate young man”.

However, she conceded that alcohol had “played a role in poor decision making” during a period last Winter when Kovacs had been feeling isolated from his family.

The lawyer added that there had been no further issues with the neighbours since, and he’d made a “conscious decision to be as quiet as he can”.

Speaking directly to the defendant, Sheriff Janys Scott warned him of the dangers of behaving in the way he had.

She said: “If you start headbutting and punching people they could die from that kind of assault.”

The sheriff ordered Kovacs, of Ladyhill Wynd, Elgin, to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work for the community.