A THUG who was ordered to leave a Greenock house party carried out an unprovoked assault to injury 'to get his retaliation in first'.

Dylan Elliot mistakenly thought that a man who'd exited the property behind him had intended to 'physically make sure he left', the sheriff court was told.

Elliot, 23 — who has a firearms conviction and another under the Explosives Act of 1875 — was asked to leave the Broomhill Street flat because he was making the female householder feel 'uncomfortable'.

Moments later he punched the other man on the head.

Elliot had also been charged with striking the victim on the head with his own head but this was removed from the charge following plea discussions between lawyer David Tod and the Crown.

Prosecutor John Penman said: "At 5.30am a female witness was within her home address in the company of others after they had been to Word Up.

"As the morning progressed she felt uncomfortable about the presence of the accused and she asked all persons to leave.

"He obliged, as did another male.

"For no apparent reason the accused assaulted the male in the manner libelled.

"Police arrived at 7.42am and the complainer was noted to have a small abrasion to his left eyebrow."

Elliot carried out the assault on March 31 last year.

Solicitor Mr Tod said: "The complainer left behind him and it was Mr Elliot's belief that the complainer had come out to ensure he left in a physical sense.

"He decided to get his retaliation in first and he now knows that he was entirely mistaken."

Sheriff Joseph Hughes noted that Elliot has other convictions for assault to severe injury and assault to injury, as well as his firearms and Explosives Act crimes.

The sheriff said: "It's all rather worrying."

Sentence has been deferred until September 9 for a background report, with Elliot remanded in custody.