A dad-of-three punched a woman in the face after a row broke out over his flirting in a pub.
Jason Young struck victim Margaret Henderson outside Cafe Habana, next to Edinburgh’s Playhouse theatre, as he argued with her pals.
Earlier the 34-year-old started a confrontation in the bar after chatting up another man’s girlfriend.
Young told the girlfriend how attractive she was, and suggested her partner was “punching above his weight”.
He appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Friday and admitted a charge of assaulting Margaret.
Fiscal depute Emma Laing told how Young had been in the pub at around midnight alongside another group, who didn’t know him, including the victim.
Ms Laing said: “The accused appeared to be flirting with a female whose boyfriend was part of this other group.”
The court was told an argument broke out and Young left the premises.
Ms Laing said Young was outside when the group emerged from the bar at 12.30am and a “further argument ensued”.
She said: “Ms Henderson approached the accused and requested he leave.
“The accused has proceeded to strike (Margaret) to the face and then made off towards Leith Walk.”
The court heard police officers on patrol saw Young running from the scene and later learned a woman had been attacked.
Young was arrested nearby and told police: “I noticed you said a female’s name.”
Defence agent Jennifer Cameron said Young had intended to punch the boyfriend of the woman he’d been chatting with and hit Margaret by mistake.
Ms Cameron said: “That’s why he expressed surprise to police about the female name.
“He very much regrets what happened.”
Ms Cameron said her client had been out drinking with friends and found himself in conversation with a woman which he thought was “banter”.
Ms Cameron said Young was suggesting the “boyfriend was punching above his weight and was less attractive than his girlfriend.”
She added: “The boyfriend took exception to this.”
The court was told Young, of the city’s Kingsknowe area, was a plumbing and heating engineer by trade, and had no previous convictions.
Sheriff Chris Dickson told Young he “accepted you did not seek to punch the woman but, nevertheless, she was punched in the face”.
He ordered Young to pay Margaret £350 in a compensation order over the incident, which took place on January 2 2020.
