A thug who bit and tried to gouge the eyes of a Good Samaritan in a nasty Arbroath street incident has been ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation.
Liam Cupar was slammed by a sheriff for his conduct outside the town’s Wetherspoons pub from which he and co-accused Kieran McGuigan had been ejected after McGuigan punched the bar manager.
Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar said Cupar’s part in the Corn Exchange incident had been far greater after the court was told how his victim was left bleeding and with a clear bite mark on his back.
He had stepped in to try to avert further trouble.
Cupar, 26, of Brechin Road, Arbroath, admitted assaulting the man by placing him in an arm lock, seizing him by the mouth, poking his fingers to his eyes and biting him on the body to his injury in the August 8 attack last year.
McGuigan, 23, of McGregor’s Walk, also Arbroath pleaded guilty to assaulting a man by punching him on the head.
The court heard how trouble flared around 6pm when there was an altercation between McGuigan and others in the pub and he punched the manager of the premises on the head.
Police were called and Cupar’s victim tried to calm things down but a struggle ensued and the pair fell to the ground outside.
Depute fiscal Kirsten Thomson said other members of the public had to step in as the accused attempted to gouge out the man’s eyes with his fingers.
The victim was left bleeding from his head, lip, finger and back and received treatment at Arbroath Infirmary.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said Cupar had expressed genuine remorse over the incident.
“He accepts he is the prime mover in this whole thing. This behaviour results from him being asked to leave and he completely overreacts,” said the solicitor.
“Mr McGuigan’s involvement in the whole episode is to throw a punch.”
Sheriff Murray told Cupar the matter had got “completely out of control”.
He fined him £300 and imposed a £500 compensation order. McGuigan was fined £200.