A violent thug with three pages of previous convictions has been jailed after striking his “lifelong friend” over the head with a metal pole.
Steven Cherry drank vodka to excess on November 1 last year at a friend’s house with best pal Ryan McLean.
After a minor fallout causing a clothes horse to break, Cherry repeatedly struck McLean over the head in Nethercraigs Court with a pole and pushed him over.
Concerned members of the public called the cops when they spotted dazed Cherry trawling the streets covered in blood.
Procurator fiscal depute, Dana Barclay told Paisley Sheriff Court the whole incident was captured on CCTV, she explained: “Around 6.25pm, the accused was with Ryan McLean at a property in Nethercraigs Court visiting a friend.
“Cherry appeared to be in possession of a long metal pole and McLean was carrying a dark coloured bag. Both men engaged in a heated exchange and the accused was extremely animated.
“Cherry then struck McLean to the head multiple times with a metal pole and he van be seen on CCTV attempting to push him. McLean struck out and ran off.
“Police attended after receiving reports there was a male in Paisley covered in blood.
“Officers reviewed CCTV and at 6am, the accused was traced and taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital as he appeared at the time to have sustained a head injury.”
Ms Barclay explained McLean didn’t contact police as he was “actively avoiding police in relation to another matter". McLean wasn’t assessed for his injuries and wasn’t traced by police.
Defence agent Paul Lynch told the court Cherry and McLean were “lifelong friends” and still remain friends. He added: “Mr Cherry is still unclear how he came about the injury.
“He suffered a hairline fracture on the right side of his head and it would be easy to attribute that to Mr McLean but he can’t say he caused them and he won’t.
“On this night, he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol. He has been diagnosed with bipolar and shouldn’t have drank that much vodka.
“There was a minor quibble at the property that resulted in a clothes horse being broken and the pole was the remnants of that. He is currently serving a sentence imposed at Glasgow Sheriff Court with his earliest release date in July, and he accepts the courts options are restricted.”
Sentencing, Sheriff Brian Mohan said: “You’ve got an appalling record where metal poles feature a lot. Your record shows that the last 10 years you’ve had a history of violence.
“This matter involved conflicting blows to Mr McLean to the head with a metal pole, and at this time, you were on bail.
“It is a significant factor you were on bail awaiting sentence for assault to injury and danger of life with a metal pole. That is a significant background here.”
Sheriff Mohan jailed Cherry for 15 months ordering this to begin when his current sentence expires.
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