Thug who beat up his mother dodges jail
Yob tore out clumps of her hair
A boozy brute who beat up his mother was shown mercy by a sheriff despite breaking a court order.
Paul McGuigan, 36, was handed a hefty punishment requiring him to perform 270 hours’ unpaid work and attend alcohol counselling, after attacking mum Janet in a drunken rampage.
The yob narrowly avoided prison after he yanked clumps of her hair out during the assault at a house in Johnstone on December 2 last year.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard McGuigan admitted he was in breach of the order when he appeared before Sheriff Colin Pettigrew.
Procurator fiscal Fiona Holligan told the court McGuigan sentence had been deferred over another incident, involving him battering people in a pub on October 11, last year.
She said: “Witnesses were at the locus, a licensed premises, on the evening in question when the accused McGuigan attended while heavily intoxicated.
“Staff recognised him. He was told to leave as he was barred. At this point he refused to leave.
“The witness approached him in order to calm him down and ask him to leave the premises.
“The staff member was assisted by another person who was there.
“They managed to get him to the front door, but at that point he punched the pub employee.”
The court heard they managed get him out the pub, but McGuigan returned and this time punched the other person, before fellow drinkers intervened and got him to leave.
The fiscal said police were given a description of the accused, and soon traced him, but were unable to caution and charge him because he was so intoxicated.
McGuigan, formerly of Yew Place, Johnstone, but now of Clavens Road, Hillington, admitted breaching the order and assaulting a barmaid and customer at The Nip Inn in Johnstone.
He also admitted breaching bail conditions preventing him from contacting or approaching his mother at her address in Johnstone in January this year.
Defence agent Gordon Ritchie urged the court to show McGuigan mercy as he had admitted responsibility for his guilt and had stayed free of trouble since the events.
He said: “He accepts responsibility. He was brought up in a culture where alcohol was an important feature of his life.
“Both parents drank heavily and he has developed a chronic addiction to alcohol.
“He was under the influence at the time of the offence, in fact so heavily intoxicated that police were unable to caution and charge him.”
The court heard police were able to confirm that McGuigan had been of good behaviour over the last few months.
Sheriff Colin Pettigrew spared him custody and continued matters for two months, so he could keep a watchful eye on the yob.
He told him: “The fact that you have been of good behaviour gives me a positive reason for not sending you to jail today.
“Let us see if you can continue not to offend.”
McGuigan will reappear for a review of his behaviour on November 29.