A WHITECROOK man who left a total stranger bleeding with a cut to his head after attacking him outside a nightclub, has been given the maximum unpaid work punishment.

Stefan Tait, 24, of Gran Street, previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a man, who wasn’t even known to him, at Glasgow Road, on January 28, 2018.

Tait repeatedly punched him on the head, causing him to fall to the ground outside Club Mango at 3.30am.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday, defence lawyer Phil Lafferty said that Tait pleaded guilty at a preliminary calling of the case.

Mr Lafferty said: “He has no recollection of the incident such was his level of intoxication. He has managed to stay out of trouble for a significant period of time. He has not been in trouble since.”

Sheriff Simon Pender said: “You have an extremely bad record for not complying with court orders. Custody has to be considered given your record. This was a serious attack on a person not even known to you. There was no excuse whatsoever.

“Given the circumstances and that you have been out of trouble for six years I am prepared to deal with this by way of a non-custodial sentence, but be in no doubt this is a direct alternative to a non-custodial sentence. Should you breach any aspect you know what will happen.”

Tait was put on a community payback order, with 12 months of supervision and to attend for alcohol counselling. In addition, Tait was ordered to carry out the maximum of 300 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and pay £750 to his victim at £30 per week.

Tait was also electronically tagged and ordered to remain at home each evening from 7pm until 7am for the next six months.

He was also ordered to return to court on January 24, 2019, for a review of all of the orders. He was ordained to appear.