Scots chip shop customer battered punter for not wearing face mask while buying food

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A chip shop customer battered a fellow patron for not wearing a face mask while going inside to order food, a court heard. Anthony Ratcliff appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court which heard he’d been “upset” at the victim’s failure to don a mask amid the pandemic.

The 52-year-old retired draughtsman carried out the attack outside the Star Fish & Chip Shop in Newtongrange, Midlothian.

Ratcliff punched Robert Diamond in the face, knocking him to the ground and bursting open his lip.The retired draughtsman pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury during the court hearing on Thursday.Fiscal depute Ross Price said Ratcliff confronted Robert about his “maskless status” and this “remonstration” led to the victim being pushed.Mr Price said Ratcliff struck Robert resulting in a laceration to his upper lip which required four sutures, as well as bruising to his cheek and eye.The prosecutor said police traced the accused on the same day and Ratcliff told officers: “He should have been wearing a mask.”Defence agent Julia McPartlin said her client had come to the chip shop and saw Robert was “not wearing a mask”.Ms McPartlin said this was “something that Mr Ratcliff, along with a lot of people, were very anxious about” and he remained outside until Robert re-emerged onto the street.The solicitor said Ratcliff “made a comment about him not wearing a mask” and “they then started arguing about this”.She said the incident on August 9 last year was “out of character” for Ratcliff who was a first offender.The court was told Ratcliff’s partner of 19 years had died “rather suddenly and unexpectedly” shortly before Christmas.Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said there was widespread anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic “but we can’t take the