An Angus bouncer who caused retinal damage to a clubber he violently ejected from a nightclubclub after losing his temper with him has been ordered to pay £5000 for the attack.
John Spink’s victim will receive £2000 compensation after the Arbroath incident last October and the 29-year-old accused was also fined £3000 for an assault which Forfar Sheriff Court heard had led to “not insignificant” injuries to the man.
Spink, of Cairnie Street in Arbroath, had, at an earlier hearing, admitted assaulting Nicky Oliver, c/o Tayside Police, on October 24, 2009 in DeVito’s, Millgate, to his injury, after deletion of the word ‘severe’ from the indictment he faced was accepted by the Crown.
On Thursday, Spink’s defence agent, Bob Bruce, said his client was an experienced door steward and his position was that Mr Oliver had been struggling after refusing to leave.
“At that point he (Spink) was bitten and punched in the ribs by the complainer and Mr Spink admits that he, regrettably, lost his temper with him,” Mr Bruce said. “It was done in the peak of anger but he accepts he should not have done that; the gentleman should have been ejected from the premises and police should have been called if that was what was necessary.”
The agent said Spink was currently recuperating from a leg injury in Lithuania, where his wife is from, but was a man who had a good job and no longer carries out door stewarding.
“He understands he should have never reacted in that way,” Mr Bruce said.
Sheriff Kevin Veal said a victim impact statement revealed Mr Oliver had suffered financially as well as physically as a result of the attack.
“Through his over-reaction, Mr Spink caused significant problems for the victim and that cannot be taken lightly,” the sheriff said.
He ordered Spink to pay the fine and compensation at the rate of £350 per month.