A THUG chewed a chunk off a pensioner's ear after an Old Firm game.

Alistair Mackay, 53, pounced on Steven Brown, 67, in Glasgow city centre on September 3, 2023.

Rangers and Celtic had earlier played a match at Ibrox which the visitors won 0-1.

A court heard that Mackay and two friends had watched the game and drank in The Barras and Merchant City areas of the city.

The trio were walking to Glasgow Central train station when they came across Mr Brown and his friend who were strangers.

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The pair heard a disturbance and saw Mackay and his friends in a physical altercation with a young man wearing a Rangers top.

Mr Brown went to separate the fight and tried to pull Mackay away.

Prosecutor Jenny Reid said: "Mr Brown was then involved in a struggle with Mackay and both fell to the ground.

"Mr Brown did not feel any pain or pressure to his ear at this time.

"However, there was no one else close enough to him which would have caused the damage to his left ear."

A witness pulled Mackay off Mr Brown who was bleeding profusely from his ear.

Miss Reid added: "A section of his ear appeared to be missing."

The victim later attended hospital where he was found to have "full thickness tissue loss of his left ear from the helix to the lobe".

The wound was closed and he was released from hospital the next day.

Meantime, Mackay and his friends walked to Glasgow Central Station.

Miss Reid said: "As he passed the Grant Arms pub, he was in possession of a piece of Mr Brown's ear in his right hand."

Mackay, of East Kilbride, turned himself in a month later following a media appeal.

Mackay pleaded guilty today to assaulting Mr Brown to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Sheriff Tom Hughes who granted Mackay bail meantime.