Violent attacker is caged

Drunken thug pounced on pal with a screwdriver

A brute who carried out a vicious assault and robbery with a screwdriver has been jailed for 30 months.

Raymond Docherty, 23, punched John Mochan, 37, then repeatedly jabbed him with the weapon.

He then stole his victim’s mobile phone, a phone charger and a bluetooth speaker from the house in Ferguson Street, Johnstone.

Docherty, who was found guilty of the attack, appeared for sentencing at Paisley Sheriff Court this week, where he was told a prison stretch was the only suitable punishment.

The trial heard victim Mr Mochan, a former friend of Docherty, had come under attack in his own home after they had a drunken argument.

Docherty punched him on the head before striking him on the legs, arms and backside with a screwdriver.

Mr Mochan told the jury: “He walked into the living room and picked up the screwdriver and said, ‘Is this for me?’

“I was stunned. He started prodding hell out of me with the screwdriver. I was on the bed trying to protect myself. I had my hands up.

“I was shaking like a leaf. He was hitting me in the privates and the backside — it was embarrassing. It’s lucky he never did a full one because that would have been me.”

Docherty stole a Samsung Galaxy 5S, a phone charger and a bluetooth speaker during the incident on February 8.

The jury was also shown images of small puncture wounds on Mr Mochan’s hands, arms and legs, which he says were inflicted by Docherty with the screwdriver.

Defence agent Gordon Ritchie said: “The injuries sustained by the complainer were not major and did not require medical treatment.

“However, there is no dispute that your lordship’s only option will be a custodial sentence in dealing with this matter.

“I would ask that a period of post-release supervision be included in sentencing as the accused has expressed a desire to make life-changing decisions while in custody.”

Sheriff Tom McCartney told Docherty, who has previous convictions for assault: “A prison sentence is inevitable. I have to take into account your previous convictions, and I will impose a sentence of 30 months.

“And, in my judgment and the need to protect the public from serious harm, I will impose a supervised release order for 12 months on your release.”

Sheriff McCartney told Docherty that if he breaches his supervision when he gets out of jail, he will brought back to court, where a “return to prison” will be almost certain.

Retired Buddies paid an average of 30 per cent of their income in tax last year, according to a new study.

The report for the Prudential shows that retired households handed over an average of £7,400 each to the taxman.

It also revealed that pensioners contributed a massive £52.7billion in total tax revenue to the exchequer

in the year 2015/16.

Stan Russell, a retirement income expert at Prudential, said: “No longer working doesn’t mean you’ll no longer be paying taxes, and many retired people will still need to consider income tax bills as well, as all the other indirect taxation on expenditure that they will continue to face when they give up work.”