Drinker jailed after death of dad-of-one

A ROWDY drinker who killed a father-of-one after throwing a wheelie bin at him has been jailed for 20 months.

Stephen Robbins, 34, got into an early morning confrontation with Ryan Barrie, who went into the street to remonstrate with him, which escalated into violence.

Robbins was walking home from a bar in Dundee in an intoxicated state and was being “generally noisy” in the street where Mr Barrie lived when the two men got into a heated exchange.

He pushed and punched Mr Barrie before striking him with the bin, resulting in the victim falling and hitting his head on a wooden fence beam.

Mr Barrie was helped back into a house in Benvie Gardens and fell asleep but was later found to have stopped breathing.

Attempts to resuscitate the victim were in vain.

A post mortem discovered he had sustained an acute subdural haemorrhage, with blood collecting between the skull and brain surface resulting in increased internal pressure.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the haemorrhage was likely to have been caused by Mr Barrie falling and striking his head on the beam.

Unemployed Robbins was originally charged with murdering his victim on March 1 last year, but the Crown earlier accepted his guilty plea to the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He admitted assaulting and killing his victim by pushing him on the body, punching him on the head and body causing him to fall to the ground, seizing his clothing and punching him on the head and striking him with the bin whereby he fell and struck his head.

A judge told Robbins: “This is a tragic case. Your actions caused the death of Mr Barrie. He was only 39. You have taken a father from his young son.”

Lady Scott said she was satisfied Robbins’ culpability in the circumstances of the case was low and that there was no serious violence or any intent to cause serious injury.

She said: “I am satisfied you remain appalled by the consequences of your actions and have genuine remorse.”

The judge told Robbins he would have faced a sentence of 30 months imprisonment, but that would be reduced to reflect his guilty plea.

Defence counsel Mark Stewart said: “He deeply regrets the circumstances of the whole incident. He wishes he had simply walked away when this encounter began.”

Mr Stewart said Robbins felt “great sympathy and compassion” for the deceased’s family.

Robbins followed the sentencing proceedings via a video link to Perth prison.

Ryan Barrie