Lottery winner faces jail as £1.2m fortune makes f ine ‘pointless’
Millionaire admitted assaulting two men in pub
AFTER a £ 1. 2million National Lottery win, John Gallagher must have hoped the money would offer a secure and comfortable future.
But on admitting in court to starting a fight in his local bar, he learned to his cost that his hopes of avoiding jail may actually have been diminished by his fortune.
A sheriff told the 49-year- old there was simply ‘no point’ in fining him for his part in the altercation as his huge win meant it would not count as punishment.
Gallagher could now face up to a year in prison after admitting assaulting two men – trying to hit one with a claw hammer and attempting to strike another with a dog lead after remarks about his dog.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Gallagher had continued to live in his modest home in Linwood, Renfrewshire, and drink at the town’s Clippens Inn, where he had been a regular for more than 30 years.
But, the court heard, he had faced resentment over his 2013 jackpot and ended up in the dock following a drunken argument on March 20 with fellow customer Robert Marshall.
After tempers flared, Gallagher left the pub still furious and armed himself with the hammer and dog lead before returning to seek revenge.
Once inside, he made a bid to hit Mr Marshall with the hammer and Dale McPhee with the dog lead.
Rhona Lynch, defending, said father- of-four Gallagher had ‘lost his temper’ following his argument with Mr Marshall. She explained: ‘He has been the subject of gossip and found it very difficult indeed in the months following the lottery win.’
Miss Lynch said her client fell into an argument ‘over something truly trivial’.
She added: ‘Some very derogatory things were said to him about the dog and he became really upset by that.
‘Things were blown out of all proportion. He is an alcoholic and fell back into alcohol abuse at the time and was at a very low ebb at that time of his life.
‘He fully accepts his behaviour on the night in question was utterly reprehensible.’
She indicated Gallagher, who has since moved to a log cabin in Wemyss Bay, Ayrshire, could pay a fine or carry out unpaid community work as a punishment for his offences.
In summary criminal cases, a sheriff can impose a maximum of 12 months’ jail and fines of up to £5,000.
However, Sheriff James Spy told her: ‘There’s no point in fining him – it would not be a punishment for him.’
He called for Gallagher to be assessed by social workers ahead of s entencing and adjourned the case until next month.
‘It would not be a punishment’