Man jailed for attacking his father

A man was sent down for 27 months by Sheriff Patrick Hughes not just as punishment, but ‘to protect the public’.

The February sitting of Campbeltown Sheriff Court heard how Joseph Fairlie severely injured his father during a drunken assault on Islay.

The sheriff told him the punishment also showed a need to protect the public, saying that this was a ‘serious and protracted assault’ and if Fairlie could do this to his own father, with whom he was very close, he was a risk to the public.

Fairlie, whose address was given in court as HMP Low Moss, admitted assaulting and severely injuring his father at the family home in Glenegedale, Islay, on Wednesday April 7 last year, repeatedly striking, punching and kicking him to the head.

Ruben Murdanaigum, Fairlie’s defence agent, said his client’s alcoholism was a factor.

The 29-year-old had become upset earlier in the day following a telephone conversation with his partner about access to his daughter and had started drinking.

Members of his family went out for a meal that night; he stayed at home.

‘When his father returned home later, he slept in his car to diffuse any situation,’ Mr Murdanaigum said, but Fairlie woke in the night, realised his father was not there, found him asleep in the car and the incident occurred.

The court was told that Fairlie already had ‘an extensive list of convictions’.

He had been in custody since Wednesday April 28 last year.

Sheriff Hughes said the sentence was back-dated to that date and, when he comes out of prison, Fairlie will be the subject of a supervised release order for 12 months.