Court in Moray: Forres neighbour brandished baseball bat
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A Forres man has admitted walking out onto the street with a baseball bat following a fight with his neighbour.
John Maver appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday where he also admitted throwing a punch at the other man.
The court heard that the cause of their row was a fall-out on social media between other people they knew.
This developed into a physical confrontation between the two men on Califer Road.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver stated that the pair had been friends beforehand.
However, on June 12, Maver (38) pushed the other man, causing him to fall onto a car that he was working on.
He then punched him in the face and briefly put him in a headlock.
The incident, which was caught on CCTV, saw both men go back inside their homes.
Shortly afterwards Maver then reappeared with the baseball bat.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty stated his client thought some other people were intending to attack him.
He added that, mistakenly, Maver believed he was acting in self-defence.
The lawyer said the self-employed dad-of-four who also fosters children, now deeply regrets his actions and wishes he'd remained inside his home rather than going outside again.
Mr Carty added: "He accepts that he lost his temper.
"There doesn't appear to be any lasting ill-will between the parties."
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov said: "Sometimes people have some sort of spat on social media and then other people feel they are obliged to get involved."
Maver was fined £400.
