Thug who left man scarred for life after brawl avoids jail sentence
A university student has avoided jail after leaving another man scarred for life in a brawl outside a bar.
Malcolm Bell, of Semple Street, Lochwinnoch, attacked Josh Ward in the village of Houston as they waited for taxis home following a night out.
The pair, who knew each other as they both attended Gryffe High School, had argued in the street after leaving the Houston Inn.
The altercation turned physical and Bell lashed out, punching Mr Ward on the face and leaving a bad cut under his eye.
The details emerged when Bell, 22, appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court to be sentenced over the events of May 28, last year.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Mr Ward to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Procurator Fiscal Depute John Penman explained: “Josh Ward was in the company of friends.
“The accused is outside and they were outside the Houston Inn public house.
“They were all congregated in the street, waiting on separate taxis.
“The now accused, without provocation, assaulted the complainer by punching him on the face.
“There was a brief skirmish and it was at that point the complainer realised he was bleeding from a wound – a laceration – beneath his right eye.
“Police and an ambulance were called and he was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital.”
Seven stitches were used to seal his 3cm wound at the Paisley hospital, with doctors saying it will leave a permanent scar, while Bell was arrested at his home later that morning and held in police custody before appearing in court.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Mason explained: “In the car on the way to the police station he said, ‘that boy was really getting on my nerves’.
“That is his position – there was a verbal disagreement between the two of them and he lost his temper.
“He didn’t go for him physically, he knew them from school, he says there were lots of boys making comments at him and he took issue with it and punched him. He wants me to profusely apologise on his behalf.
“He recognises this is a very serious matter.
“He hopes to make something of his life but if he is sent to custody he will serve half of the sentence and his hopes of a good career are gone.
“He comes from a good background and has never been in trouble before. He was provoked to a certain extent by comments made but there was no physical provocation.”
As he spared Bell prison, placing him on a Community Payback Order and telling him to pay compensation to his victim, Sheriff Seith Ireland said: “I can deal with it by way of an alternative to custody but it’s been very close. This is a serious matter.
“It matters not whether he is 20 or 50 – he’s still going to be left with a scar.
“There is an alternative here and there are no previous convictions so just merely persuaded this is an alternative to custody.”
He ordered Bell, who studies Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, to pay £1,000 in compensation and to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work for the benefit of the community, adding: “You could still go to prison.”