A man was hit over the head with a bottle, punched and kicked during an unprovoked late night attack in Dunfermline town centre.

The assailant was George Williamson, 33, of Kellock Avenue, Dunfermline, who appeared for sentencing at the sheriff court.

He admitted that on September 25 last year in Pilmuir Street, he assaulted a man by seizing him, pulling him to the ground, repeatedly punching him on the head and body, striking him on the head with a bottle, all to his severe injury.

Depute fiscal Kyrsten Buist said that the victim had been having a night out with two female friends.

They left a pub in Pilmuir Street and went to use a nearby ATM.

At this time, a group of two females and two males, including Williamson, walked past them.

Two females became involved in an argument and the victim tried to calm down the situation, offering to buy drinks for the other group in a pub.

However, Williamson, who not been involved in the dispute up until that point, then launched a vicious attack.

“Without provocation the accused began to attack the complainer, pulling his jacket over his head and throwing him to the ground,” said the depute.

“He was aware of being punched about the head and dragged from one side of the road to the other.

“He was thrown to the ground again. He then felt a blow to his head and saw shards of green glass falling to the ground.”

The police were contacted by a passing motorist and the incident was captured on CCTV. Williamson was detained by police as he tried to leave in a taxi.

The victim was taken to the Victoria Hospital with cuts to his head, including two which had to be closed using glue. Hospital staff had to remove glass from the wounds.

Defence solicitor Matthew Nicholson said his client had “misread the situation and reacted very badly to that.”

He added that his client was “petrified” at the prospect of going to prison and what that would mean for his family.

Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work and a six-month restriction of liberty order. He also ordered Williamson to pay £1000 compensation to his victim.