Unpaid work after drink-fuelled assault

A 42-year-old council worker caused mayhem in a Perthshire bar after over-indulging in alcohol at a Highland Games.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that Stephen Anderson had been in the Perth Arms, in Dunkeld’s main street, when an argument broke out between gentlemen at the bar.

He was asked to leave to prevent the situation“escalating”- and did so but remained at the door of the pub.

When he was asked to leave the area, he started shouting and swearing, according to depute fiscal Craig Donald.

He called Ewan Alcorn a“f***ing a ****** e”- and then challenged him to a fight.

The complainer’s partner then asked Anderson to calm down or the police would be called.

That prompted him to tell her to“f*** off”- then she was struck on the left side of her face.

“In fairness to the accused,”explained the fiscal,“it would appear he was waving his arms around at the time and she got caught in the crossfire.”

She sustained some bruising around the left side of her eye but no medical treatment was required.

When spoken to by police later, Anderson, of Cathedral Street, Dunkeld, said:“I don’t remember - I was drinking. I’m an a ****** e.”

He admitted repeatedly shouting and swearing in the bar and challenging Mr Alcorn to fight on August 27 last year - and then assaulting his partner.

Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said her client “wasn’t much of a drinker.”

But the anniversary of his mother’s death was around that time and he had taken alcohol at Dunkeld Highland Games before going to the public house where he had more to drink.

He had a“very vague recollection”of events but realised what he had done when he read comments on his Facebook page of what had happened the previous night.

Sheriff Gillian Wade ordered the accused to complete a total of 190 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.

She told him:“It’s quite unacceptable you should become involved in this kind of behaviour which was clearly fuelled by alcohol.”