Man attacked guest in city hotel
A guest at a Perth hotel was taken by ambulance to PRI after an alcoholfuelled attack by a complete stranger.
The violent and unprovoked confrontation took place in a corridor at the Holiday Inn Express in the city’s Dunkeld Road.
Christopher Miller was left bleeding from wounds to his left cheek and eyebrow, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
He had four stitches inserted under local anaesthetic to a twoand-a-half centimetre laceration to his eyebrow.
“He also had bruising to his left cheekbone but X-rays showed there was no fracture,” stated depute fiscal
Bill Kermode.
“He was discharged and advised to take painkillers.”
Thirty-three year-old Brian Watt was ordered to pay the victim £750 compensation following the incident which took place in the early hours.
He will also be tagged and restricted to his home from 9pm7am for the next four months.
Sheriff Neil Bowie said the Restriction of Liberty Order was being imposed as a “direct alternative” to a prison sentence.
Mr Miller had been enjoying an evening out with his partner and they weren’t interested in the accused’s approaches.
“This was disgraceful conduct and a man of your age should be thoroughly ashamed of his actions,” added the sheriff.
Watt admitted repeatedly punching Mr Miller on the head, to his injury, in the Holiday Inn Express on February 2.
The court heard that Mr Miller and his partner arrived at the hotel, with friends, about 1.30am.
They were in the reception area when the accused “ignored” empty seating and sat close to them.
He was asked to move his seat back – and did so – but he appeared “agitated”.
“The complainer and his partner decided to go the long way back to their room to avoid the accused because of his demeanour.
“But they were aware of the accused following them.
“As they reached the stairwell at the end of the corridor, the accused quickly caught up with them and he punched Mr Miller twice on the face”.
There was a struggle and the victim’s partner tried to drag the accused away.
“A person then opened a nearby bedroom door and called out for the accused to go inside,” added the fiscal.
The couple made their way to reception and called the police.
The accused, who had a small cut to his right knuckle, was arrested shortly before 2am but maintained he had “done nothing.”
Solicitor David Holmes said Watt didn’t usually “drink at all” but had taken too much alcohol that night.
“He regrets his behaviour and acknowledges it was wrong.”
A heating engineer, of Archerfield Drive, Glasgow, he will pay the compensation within six months.