Bar room brawler escapes jail term
A Perth offshore oil worker who attacked two men, scarring one for life, in an explosion of violence in city centre pub narrowly escaped a jail term yesterday.
Thirty-one-year-old Dean Calder had been remanded in custody from January 28 while background reports were prepared - and he had been warned to expect prison.
But he was ordered to complete the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work and pay £1000 compensation to one of the victims who suffered 1.5 centimetre cuts to his left eyebrow and the back of his head after a bar room brawl in Dickens pub, South Street, more than three years ago.
Sheriff William Wood said he had been “persuaded - just” not to jail him.
He added: “This is a matter just on the cusp of a custodial sentence and not where a custodial sentence is imperative.”
The sheriff said he had listened carefully to the plea in mitigation put forward by lawyer David Holmes as well as testimonials submitted on behalf of Calder, of Hermitage Drive.
There was force in these submissions but they did not “excuse the ferocity” of the attack.
He added: “They were both violent attacks, clearly on people who were not expecting them.”
The sheriff acknowledged it was fortunate the injuries to the victim were “not more serious” and might not be obvious to the casual observer.
But he had been injured to his permanent disfigurement and he would be aware of that “every day he looked in the mirror”.
Mr Holmes said his client had been “shocked” when he was remanded and if jailed would lose his job.
A background report indicated he was at “minimal risk” of re-offending, no weapon had been involved and the disfigurement was at the “lower end” of the scale.
Calder was given 18 months to complete the unpaid work and the compensation will be paid at £100 a month, beginning on April 25.