Thug left victim with head injuries

A thug beat up a man during a brawl outside a town centre pub.

Gerard McGettigan, 36, punched Anthony Henderson in the face during a rammy outside Johnstone’s Silver Tassie.

The victim was left with head injuries following the street attack.

McGettigan admitted the assault when he appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court.

But defence lawyer Peter Galletly claimed his client – who has previous convictions for aggression and carrying weapons – only lost control after struggling with the aftereffects of a beating that left him for dead.

He said:“He has developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

“There had been a deterioration in his mental health around the time of this particular matter.

“In an incident in 2010, he was the subject of a very serious assault, which left him with physical injuries and significant mental health issues.”

McGettigan had been bailed following the Hogmanay melee, but was told to keep away from the pub as conditions of his release.

The court had also demanded he stay in his home between the hours of 8pm and 7am while awaiting the conclusion of the case.

The yob had been charged with repeatedly striking the man in the face, but this was later dropped.

Sheriff Vincent Canavan deferred sentence and called for the preparation of further reports.

McGettigan has been ordered to return to court in the coming weeks to learn his fate.