Man (39) punched the face of a person who was on a mobility scooter at the Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena
A 39-year-old Ballymena man punched a man who was on a mobility scooter at the town's Fairhill Shopping Centre.
The defendant pleaded guilty to assault which happened around 11am on April 20 this year.
A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates Court that CCTV operators reported an assault in the area of Cafe Nero.
The court was told that the man was "having coffee" with friends and the defendant, Connor Dunlop, of Centuripe Avenue, approached and asked him for a cigarette.
He said that he didn't have one and at that stage the defendant became "aggressive". There was a "scuffle" and Dunlop then punched the man on the face.
The PSNI arrested the defendant at Market Road and he was "aggressive" and shouting and swearing and "wanting to fight with police".
The defendant appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday (June 18) via video link from prison.
A defence barrister claimed that in the lead-up to the man being punched there was an "element of provocation" and that the victim had been "aggressive and grabbing" Dunlop.
The defendant regretted his response, said the lawyer. Dunlop had 62 previous convictions. The defendant had a "long-standing heroin addiction".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said that Dunlop had "punched a gentleman who had underlying vulnerabilities by virtue of the fact that he had to use a mobility scooter to aid his getting around the shopping centre".
He said that the defendant was in custody on "other matters" and he handed down a three months prison term.