Scotland’s “binge drinking curse” was brought sharply into focus yesterday when a young Perth man admitted downing more than 80 units of alcohol before launching a booze-fuelled attack.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Dean Calder, of Cumbrae Place, consumed 24 pints of lager and 15 vodkas on November 14 last year after watching his football team play on television.
After the massive drinking session, the Perth plumber confronted Adam McDowell outside a chip shop on North Methven Street before repeatedly punching him on the head and knocking him to the ground.
Director of Tayside Council for Alcohol, Frankie Claridge, said Calder, and others like him, were “dicing with death.”
Sentencing the 20-year-old to 180 hours’ community service, Sheriff Robert McCreadie said he had never heard of such a “shocking binge” and that the outcome could have been “far worse.”
Calder’s victim had to be rushed to Perth Royal Infirmary shortly after midnight on November 15 and was left with a broken tooth, swollen head, cut nose and lip but has since made a full recovery.
However, Sheriff McCreadie said he had seen similar cases in his time at the High Court where the charge had been murder.
“After consuming this extraordinary amount of drink, this gentleman was not in control of his actions and that kind of outcome is possible. We have to be aware of that,” he said.
“Drinking seems to be some kind of virility symbol in Scotland but it in fact shows a lack of control and a lack of self-discipline.
“You don’t find this kind of drinking in other European countries — it is Scotland’s curse.”
The sheriff ordered Calder to pay McDowell £750 in compensation and added that if he didn’t start to tackle his drinking he could give himself permanent brain damage.
Ms Claridge expressed her fears for Calder’s future quality of life, saying, “That man is not going to live long.
“Consuming that much alcohol is phenomenal and I have certainly never heard of that amount being taken in any one drinking session.
“He is certainly not destined to live long if he keeps that up.”
She agreed with Sheriff Fletcher’s worry that he could end up on the wrong side of the law again.
“Apart from the health issue, if he continues to drink that level of alcohol it will cause him far more other problems including criminal ones,” Ms Claridge said.
“He will not be able to think or act properly and that is when he will commit a great number of offences.”
Defending Calder, Cliff Culley said his client was a “hard-working lad” and did not drink during the week.
He had become involved in the fight after seeing Adam McDowell and his girlfriend arguing, the solicitor said.
But Ms Claridge urged him to get in touch for help and said, “There is no simple message to this man other than he has to cut his drinking down dramatically and he has to get help to do this.
“If he needs medical help to do this then that can be done through the Tayside Alcohol Problem Service.
“We can also deal with him on our own if he does not wish to get medical help.”