Sheriff orders attacker to pay victim £2,000
A woman who suffered a horrific assault after a night out in Oban has been awarded £2,000 compensation.
The victim’s partner at the time, Glen Fullarton, appeared before Oban Sheriff Patrick Hughes on Wednesday January 26 pleading guilty to carrying out an extensive and sustained assault that lasted along The Esplanade, George Street, Station Square, South Pier, Shore Street and back at their hotel - all witnessed by a passer-by who was worried enough to follow them to their room, alerting police and hotel staff.
The 26-year-old, of 31 Binnie Street, Gourock, had been drinking alcohol since lunchtime on Friday December 3 last year and the couple were on their way back to the hotel when the assault, also caught on CCTV, started.
Fullarton pushed her several times, seized her head and struck it on a lamppost. He kicked her, grabbed her and pinned her against a window by her collar.
At one point he was seen to walk way but then turned round and ran at her at speed pushing her over. Back at the hotel Fullarton knocked her to the floor and choked her by squeezing his hand around her neck, the court heard.
The concerned passer-by followed them up to their room raising the alarm. Police attended and Fullarton was arrested, but later denied the assault.
The victim did not need medical treatment but had reddening, markings and bruising, the court was told.
Defence solicitor Kevin McGinness said Fullarton, who had no recollection of what happened, had described the relationship before the incident as being ‘idyllic’.
‘He has expressed his absolute horror about his behaviour and is deeply shocked by it,’ said Mr McGinness, adding his client, who is an award-winning apprentice with a promising career ahead of him, had never been in court before or come to the attention of police.
‘This behaviour was off the radar - somewhat spectacularly,’ said Mr McGinness.
Since the assault Fullarton has not had any alcohol, has been to see his GP to get help and is eager to be able to apologise to the victim and members of her family.
As an alternative to jail, Sheriff Hughes ordered Fullarton to pay his victim £2,000 compensation, to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work, to attend 10 sessions of a domestic abuse programme and to undergo social work department supervision for 18 months.
The sheriff also issued a sixmonth non-harassment order.
He told Fullarton: ‘Even hearing this incident described in words in a courtroom has been a horrific experience.
‘What it must have been like for the victim to experience in real time doesn’t bear thinking about, it’s even more horrific that the person who assaulted her was a person she envisaged as a life partner.’