A joiner who downed a bottle of whisky before carrying out a homophobic assault on a couple has been jailed for more than two years.
Daniel Bowie appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted viciously assaulting the women by punching and headbutting them while screaming homophobic obscenities.
The 36-year-old then turned on a neighbour who tried to calm things down by trying to gouge his eye out.
Upon being arrested, Bowie spat blood and saliva into the face of a female police officer, resulting in her having to endure 24 weeks of blood tests.
Jailing him, Sheriff Philip Mann described Bowie’s offending as “nasty and disgusting”.
Headbutted woman in face
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that during the evening of May 13 last year, Bowie’s then partner had invited two friends to her home where they enjoyed some drinks.
At around 7.30pm, Bowie returned to the property in Oldmeldrum intoxicated where he began to look for more alcohol to drink before being told to leave by his partner.
Whilst within the living room, Bowie uttered a homophobic slur towards his girlfriend’s two guests.
Without warning, he then lunged at one of the women and headbutted her twice to the face.
Bowie then punched the woman once before pinning her against a wall by her neck.
As her partner attempted to intervene, Bowie then struck her in the face too.
His partner ran outside and called 999.
Hearing a disturbance, a neighbour came outside and spoke to Bowie’s partner, who said: “He’s in there hitting them”.
Homophobic slurs
The neighbour entered the property and tried to calm Bowie down by taking him outside.
At this point, Bowie then tried to gouge the man’s eye out and scratched him on the face and neck before breaking free and approaching the first woman once more.
Bowie then pushed his head against the woman’s, grabbing hold of her and shoving her to the ground.
He then spat on the woman and called her a “f****t”.
The two women then managed to lock themselves within the property as they waited for the police to arrive.
“Police attended and found the accused lying on the ground outside the locus in an intoxicated state,” Ms Petersen said.
“The accused was observed to be bleeding from his nose which had caused blood to go into his mouth.
“Whilst escorting the accused to the police vehicle the accused collected spittle and blood in his mouth and spat at a police constable.
“The spittle and blood landed on her face and some went into her mouth.
“The accused was subsequently cautioned and charged with assault and replied: ‘She assaulted me, has she got a bruise on her, f****** get with it f****t, you’re a f****** f****t’.”
Bowie’s victims were left with superficial injuries.
The police constable who he spat on had to receive emergency vaccinations and blood tests for the next 24 weeks.
In the dock, Bowie pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and one charge of assault against a police officer.
‘Nasty and disgusting’
Defence solicitor Iain McGregor told the court that his client is “all too aware” that this matter could result in a custodial sentence.
“His memory of the events of that night are not great, to say the least – he consumed an entire bottle of whisky and then continued drinking.
“He does express genuine remorse, and he is someone who has struggled with an alcohol problem – this was one of those instances where he had fallen off the wagon.”
Sheriff Mann described Bowie’s offences against all his victims as “nasty and disgusting”.
“I have given careful consideration as to what sentence to impose in this case,” he told him.
“I regret to say that I have come to the view that only a custodial sentence is appropriate for this offending.”
Sheriff Man jailed Bowie, of Drum Blade, Huntly, to a total of 26 months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.