Man punched woman who wouldn’t talk to him

A MAN who punched a woman in the face in an Aberdeen street after she refused to talk to him has avoided jail.

Mark Miller approached the woman, who was sitting on a bench in Aberdeen’s George Street, and tried to strike up a conversation.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard victim Lucy Smith smelled alcohol on Miller’s breath and asked him to leave her alone.

But the 40-year-old divorcee admitted the attack and was sentenced to 140 hours of community service.

Defence agent Luke O’Curry said Miller, whose address was listed in Aberdeen Sheriff Court papers as 10 Granton Gardens, Coatbridge, Airdrie, wanted to apologise to the woman.

shind@ajl.co.uk