A Greenock man who bit a T in the Park steward’s hand as he was asked to leave an overcrowded festival marquee has narrowly escaped prison.
Appearing at Perth Sheriff Court, Allan Docherty was ordered by Sheriff Michael Fletcher to carry out 200 hours’ community service.
Docherty was free from prison on licence at the time of the incident, after he had been convicted of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement at the High Court in Edinburgh in June 2005 and sentenced to 67 months in jail.
However, the 32-year-old was free to attend the sell-out music event having apparently begun to turn his life around.
He was among the revellers who packed into the King Tut’s Tent for David Guetta’s headline performance at the Balado festival last July.
Fearing for the audience’s safety as the tent became overcrowded, stewards moved in to usher people away.
Docherty apparently took exception to this and bit steward Chris Low’s hand before fighting with others.
Docherty, of Oxford Road, pleaded guilty to assault and a breach of the peace in January.
Depute fiscal Erin Paterson told the court, “As the witness (Mr Low) was escorting the accused out he felt a pain in his hand and realised the accused was biting him.Assistance”A colleague saw this and went to assist and assistance was summoned from other stewards in an attempt to restrain the accused. Police nearby saw the disturbance and saw the accused attempting to fight with the complainer.
“It was observed that Mr Low had bite marks and the skin on his hand was broken.”
Docherty’s solicitor said his client had reacted out of fear, having found someone attempting to “take hold of him from behind and put an arm around his chest and neck area.”
“He didn’t realise who was doing this to him and was apprehensive about what was going to happen next,” he told the court.
Sentencing Docherty yesterday, Sheriff Michael Fletcher told the accused, “You have a very lengthy and serious record and you were still on licence when this happened.
“Perhaps the most significant element of this incident is that it took place where there were a number of people and it could have turned very serious.”
His brother, Lee, meanwhile, was placed on probation for a year in relation to the incident.
The 24-year-old, of the same address, admitted giving police false personal details in an attempt to defeat the course of justice as he knew Strathclyde Police were searching for him for another matter.
The younger Docherty brother has a lengthy criminal record and served a five-year prison term in connection with a June 2000 attempted murder conviction.
He was also jailed for 17 months for assault in 2005 on the day his brother was imprisoned.