Court / Violent attack costs young Lerwick man dear

A YOUNG man from Lerwick was ordered to carry out unpaid work as well as to pay £1,000 in compensation for assaulting two men in a town nightclub.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Lewis Fraser launched an apparently unprovoked attack on the two friends at Posers on 24 March.

CCTV footage recorded 20-year-old Fraser punching one of the men twice in the face after having a seemingly amicable conversation with him.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that there was “nothing aggressive” about the complainer and he appeared to be having a “happy drunk conversation”.

Mackenzie said: “Whatever was said, the accused responds by punching him twice in the face.”

After Fraser, of 55 Nederdale, lashed out he was pushed away by other customers, but he picked up a beer bottle and threw it in the face of the second complainer.

He left the premises and staff hailed passing police officers and the two victims were taken to hospital with “apparent injuries”. The first complainer had a badly swollen nose and shifted nasal cartilage, which might need future treatment.

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The man struck by the bottle suffered a burst lip, black eyes and lacerations to his nose.

Tommy Allan, defending, said that Fraser had no recollection of what had sparked his violent outburst and had fled the scene when the severity of his actions dawned on him.

Allan said that he was so disgusted with himself he felt physically sick and was appalled that he could act like that.

He said that the amount of shame and remorse he felt appeared genuine. “It is not something he feels proud of in any shape or form,” Allan added.

In his social work report, it was not generally considered there was a high risk of the same thing happening again.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank noted that Fraser accepted full responsibility at an early stage and his remorse appeared to be “entirely genuine”.

He sentenced Fraser to 15 months supervision with 120 hours of unpaid work for the assault with the bottle.

Fraser was also ordered to pay £800 compensation for that attack with the bottle and £200 compensation to the first complainer.