Thug dodges jail for early-morning attack

Boozed-up ned targeted gardener on his way to work

A convicted drug dealer from Renfrew was spared jail yesterday following a drunken Sunday morning attack on a man.

John Thomson, who previously received a five-year stretch at the High Court for dealing drugs, attacked William Mason in Lyle Crescent, Bishopton.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that tempers flared after Thomson had been drinking, spotted Mr Mason in the street and started shouting abuse at him.

Mr Mason, who owns his own gardening business, was going to do some landscaping work in the street on Sunday, June 18, last year. When Mr Mason returned to his car, which was parked on the road, Thomson began shouting abuse at him.

Mr Mason approached Thomson and asked him to stop shouting, but he continued and then tried to hit him on the head with an empty bottle of vodka.

Mr Mason managed to grab Thomson’s wrist, wrestled the bottle from his grasp and the police were called.

Paramedics were also called and they noticed Thomson, 48, had a graze to his left elbow and left knee and a cut above his left eye, but he refused to let them examine him.

Thomson, of Vennacher Road, Renfrew, was then arrested by officers and taken to Greenock police office, where he said, “It wasn’t me”, when cautioned and charged.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and returned to the dock to learn his fate.

Defence solicitor Amy Spencer claimed Thomson had been battered by three men following the incident.

She explained: “The bottle didn’t strike or injure anyone and, afterwards, Mr Thomson was assaulted by three males – and that is not in dispute.

“To some extend, perhaps, he’s learned a lesson as far as conducting himself in this manner is concerned.

“There is no violence on his record – he has managed to get to this age without being convicted of any offences of a violent nature.

“He did not go looking for trouble but trouble found him and it does appear it was a rather spontaneous act.”

Miss Spencer asked for leniency for Thomson, saying he could do unpaid work and was suitable for a Community Payback Order (CPO).

Sheriff David Pender could have jailed him for the offence, which carries a maximum term of 12 months, but spared him prison – warning he could still find himself behind bars if he breaches the court order imposed as a punishment.

As he placed him on an 18-month CPO, which will see him supervised by social workers and carry out 300 hours’ unpaid work in the next year, Sheriff Pender said: “You certainly have quite an extensive criminal record but there are no convictions for violence, one conviction in 2014 and nothing since 2007.

“Because of that, and it’s a very marginal decision, I have decided to deal with this today without sending you to prison.

“If I get a report and you’re not complying, it will be revoked and you’ll go to prison.”

The 2014 conviction referred to was threatening or abusive behaviour, which saw Thomson fined £300, and in 2007 he was convicted of dangerous driving and banned from the roads.

He was caged for five years at the High Court in Glasgow in July 1997 for drugs offences.