A Dundee dad who dodged prison after a vicious assault on an alleged sex offender told The Courier how he prepared his children for a future without him.
Convicted of attacking the man and blinding him in one eye, David Fletcher expected to be behind bars by last night.
However, to his shock and relief, a sympathetic judge gave him a non-custodial sentence.
He said: “I seriously thought for the next two years at least I was going to be away from my kids. Whatever my reasons, I was sure I was going to prison.”
Fletcher was convicted of an attack on Ross Ottaway, who faces trial next month on charges of showing a pornographic movie to children.
He punched Ottaway twice in the face, rupturing his eyeball.
He said: “Medically it was astonishing there was that kind of injury. It was a billion to one to inflict that sort of injury.
“Under the circumstances, I think I am extremely lucky. I think the sheriff had a very hard job. I am still in total bewilderment.
“I was welling up when the judge read out the three points that made the case serious enough for a custodial sentence.
“Then when he said ‘non-custodial’ everything else was a blur. I thought I was going to collapse.
“All I could say was thank you to the judge as I left the dock.”
He was sentenced to a community payback order with two years’ supervision. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
The father-of-five added: “I had to be punished, quite rightly, but the judge gave me a second chance. I am extremely grateful for the judge’s decision to let me stay with my family.”
His wife Shona said: “The kids knew what had happened. David sat them down and explained to them that what he did was wrong and there are consequences for your actions and he might have to go to prison.
“He told the kids, ‘even if I’m not here I still love you’ and he was giving the kids cuddles.”
She said dinner the night before the sentencing had been like “the last supper” and it was taking a while for the news to sink in.
She said: “I am still in shock. I was so relieved. It has been stressful.”