A ROYAL MARINE commando who assaulted a man outside a Peebles hotel has been fined £350 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Ross Glass, 27, - formerly of Peebles and now based at Arbroath - pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching his 50-year-old victim several times after heated words were exchanged.

The incident happened outside the County Hotel in Peebles last September.

The court heard that both men were waiting for a taxi outside the hotel at around 1am when the victim approached Glass to confront him about comments made about his wife.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the man was then attacked but Glass was not alone in the assault.

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said there had been previous bad blood between the two families.

He said Glass accepted he had made comments about the man's wife but said they were supposed to be light-hearted.

In addition to the fine Glass was ordered to pay £75 compensation to the man's wife.

His co-accused Thomas Colclough, 25, from Derby, had his plea of not guilty to the assault charge accepted by the Crown.