Last updated at 17:04, Friday, 03 August 2012

A DAD punched a man on the nose in a Barrow pub because he thought he was flirting with his girlfriend, a court heard.

MISTAKEN BELIEF: David Mark Ogilvie pictured outside Furness Magistrates’ Court, charged with assault by beating a man he thought was flirting with his girlfriend REF: 50036943B004

David Mark Ogilvie, 38, assaulted Matthew Albery in the Strawberry in Abbey Road around 12.15am on May 7.

Mr Albery suffered a severely deviated nasal septum and required an operation in Leeds to correct it.

Mr Andrew Dodd, prosecuting, told Furness Magistrates’ Court yesterday that Mr Albery had been standing at the bar talking to the defendant’s partner.

He took his phone out and was texting a friend when Ogilvie went over and punched him three times to the face, said Mr Dodd.

The victim fell to the floor and sustained a bloody lip and nose, tenderness of the elbow and tenderness and swelling to the jaw and nose.

Mr Dodd said CCTV captured the incident and the victim had done nothing wrong.

Mr Albery went to Barrow police station in the morning to report the matter.

But Ms Maureen Fawcett, defending, said Ogilvie was ashamed by his actions and later voluntarily went to the police station to speak to officers.

He told police he suffered from bipolar disorder which affects his sleep.

Ms Fawcett said the defendant worked for 10 years in Holland where he started a family but was diagnosed as bipolar and had to return to Barrow, where he relies on his mum to look after him.

On the day of the incident, he had taken his daughter to the airport for a flight back to Holland, where she still lives.

Ms Fawcett said he was upset she was leaving following a visit.

He does not normally drink but had a glass of wine and later went to the Strawberry with his partner to “drown his sorrows”.

Ms Fawcett said: “He thought the complainant was flirting with his girlfriend and the way he has read the situation was wrong.”

Ogilvie, of North Row, Barrow, admitted assault.

Presiding magistrate Mrs Jacqui Barnfield told him the bench was looking at a community penalty.

Proceedings were adjourned until August 30 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and Ogilvie was bailed until that date.

First published at 16:51, Friday, 03 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk