A sheriff has taken a stand against vigilantism by jailing a man who attacked someone he believed had abused his girlfriend.
Imposing a 12-month custodial sentence on George Donaldson on Tuesday, Sheriff Robert McCreadie said he hoped to set an example to others.
”Even if the unsubstantiated allegations were true, nothing justifies taking the law into your own hands,” he said. ”If such behaviour was not strongly condemned, then chaos would ensue. This is not a vigilante state; we test allegations in court.”
Donaldson, of Lintibert Terrace, Muthill, appeared for sentencing at Perth Sheriff Court after being found guilty of the vicious assault following a week-long jury trial last month.
A jury of seven men and eight women took a little under three hours to deliver a majority guilty verdict to the charge that on June 27 last year, at an address on Rorrie Terrace, Methven, he repeatedly struck his girlfriend’s stepfather, Graham Seagroatt, on the head and body with a hammer to his severe injury.
Perth Sheriff Court heard during the trial that ambulance staff had been so concerned by Mr Seagroatt’s head wounds that they contacted specialists at Ninewells Hospital before moving him.
The retired firefighter was eventually taken to the Dundee hospital, where he remained for two days, undergoing a brain scan and numerous health tests.
Mr Seagroatt told the jury he had been viciously attacked by the 26-year-old accused in his own living room following a telephone call where Donaldson said he was going to ”get him”.
He accepted he had armed himself with the claw hammer to act as a deterrent ”if need be”, telling the jury that when Donaldson arrived he opened the door to see if he could reason with him, only for the younger man to assault him.
Solicitor Ian Houston urged consideration of a non-custodial disposal, saying the actions of the complainer may have made the situation worse.
”What we will never know is if the incident would have become so serious had Mr Seagroatt not produced that hammer,” he said.
Donaldson was also ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to his victim.