A Scots dad who left a stranger with a fractured eye socket and nerve damage after punching him in the face on a stag do has avoided jail. Scott Carter, from Coatbridge, was in Liverpool with around 24 pals when he came across his victim in the early hours of August 29 last year.
The 32-year-old, who was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, was in the Black Rabbit bar when fellow pub-goer Aaron Suleman attempted to squeeze past him. CCTV footage of the incident was played at Liverpool Crown Court and showed Carter taking a step back before turning around and punching the stranger in the face in what was described as a 'random attack'.
Judge David Swinnerton told the Scot that while he ‘deserved to go to prison’, he was prepared to hand down a suspended sentence for the one count of causing grievous bodily harm. Carter was also ordered to pay £4,500 in compensation to Mr Suleman plus £500 in costs.
Prosecutor Joanne Cronshaw told the court: “The defendant was standing next to a metal pole on the dancefloor, when Mr Suleman put his hands on Carter to squeeze past him. Carter took offence to this and punched Mr Suleman in the face, causing his head to smash backwards into the metal pole leaving him unconscious on the floor."
Mr Suleman suffered a 2 centimetre gash to the back of his head, bruising and swelling to the face, a fractured eye socket with a deviation of the eye, damage to his teeth and nerve damage in his mouth. He required surgery to his mouth area and dental work, the Liverpool Echo reports.
A victim personal statement written by Mr Suleman, who had been celebrating his birthday with pals, was read to the court by the prosecution, and detailed the anxiety and distress he felt following the incident. It read: "I feel this incident has ruined my life. I had a difficult experience with treatment because my face was too swollen and I could not speak."
Mr Suleman also detailed that he struggles to lift heavy objects during the course of his job as this causes him to have a black eye, and at the time of the statement, he could not feel his back teeth. He said the dental work cost him around £1,700, and he had to take a month off work following the incident.
Carter was interviewed and claimed Mr Suleman had squared up to him, causing him to feel scared and react by punching him in the face. Carter has 11 previous convictions for 26 offences, the majority of which are of a similar nature and occurred in public houses while he was under the influence of alcohol.
Dominic Thomas, defending, told the court that his client has various dependents and a son with specific needs whom he cares for three days a week. He detailed that despite his history of violent offences, Carter holds down a full time job and is a valuable contributing member of society, who has not been before the courts since 2017.
Mr Thomas said Carter's family would be the ones who suffered if he were to go to prison, as they are financially and emotionally dependent on him. Judge David Swinnerton described the "sheer randomness" of the attack.
In sentencing, he said: "This has been a decision I have found hard to come to because in many ways you totally deserve to go to prison. Were it not for the other people that rely on you and your support, I would have sent you to prison right away.
"You need to think before you go out and not drink so heavily." Judge Swinnerton assured Carter this was his last chance, and said he would most likely go to prison if he committed further offences.
Carter was handed a 14 month prison sentence suspended for two years, and told to complete 30 rehabilitation days plus 200 hours of unpaid work during the hearing last Thursday.
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