An amateur boxer from Jamestown has avoided a prison sentence after he headbutted a woman twice during a drunken brawl.

Alexander Savage, of Woodburn Avenue, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for sentencing earlier this month, following a fight outside a nightclub in Balloch on December 14, last year

The 21-year-old and another man got involved in a fight, and when the woman tried to intervene, he attacked her before attempting to attack her mum.

The procurator fiscal told the court: “The witness didn’t want the situation to get worse.

“The accused walked away from the other man, took his jacket off and threw it on the ground, before making his way back.

“Several other people became involved to prevent the accused reaching the man, and again, the witness stood in the way and was trying to calm him down.

“It was at that point, the accused assaulted her by shoving his head against hers – there were two headbutts.”

But Savage’s solicitor, Judith Reid, told the court that her client had been punched by the man – an attack which could be seen at the start of CCTV footage.

Ms Reid added: “H clearly extremely intoxicated.

“The witness thinks she’s helping, she’s right in his face, she’s very physical.

“She calls her mother who turns up and tries to get him into a car – he clearly doesn’t want to do that.

“When he headbutts her she doesn’t react.”

Sheriff William Gallacher handed Savage a community payback order (CPO), placing him under social workers’ supervision for a period of 18 months.

The sheriff said: “I’m satisfied that I can deal with this by not imposing a custodial sentence.

“This will be your final opportunity – take it and make sure you’re not back in this court.”

This is not the first time Savage has been involved in an altercation at a Balloch nightclub.

In September 2017, he repeatedly punched a man on the head and kicked him on the body during an assault at Desire, in Balloch Road.

He was also sentenced to a CPO for that attack in September 2018.

The amateur boxer, known as Xander, previously told the Reporter he would have probably ended up “in jail” had he not taken up the combat sport.

He said in May 2018: “I was always fighting at school.

“I found it hard to concentrate.

“I was a young boy with a lot of pent up anger. I didn’t know how to control it.

“Looking back, it’s stupid how I behaved. I had a bit of a reputation as a thug (I hate to say the word).”

He added: “If I hadn’t have found martial arts and boxing, I’d probably be in jail to be honest.”