Gay pub patron victim of unprovoked attack

Jul 27 2010 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A POPULAR regular at Perth pub the Twa Tams was the victim of a homophobic assault on Friday night.

The 30-year-old Perth man, who was with his partner at the time, required first aid treatment by bar staff after being punched at least three times in the face by an offender in his mid-30s.

Bar manager Zoe Cooper said security staff did not witness the unprovoked attack but responded quickly, escorting the assailant outside, who then left the scene before police arrived.

Staff and patrons have been interviewed by police investigating the 9pm assault, which was captured on the pub’s CCTV cameras, with footage now being scrutinised by officers.

“It was such an aggressive attack, just horrible, and over in seconds,” said Ms Cooper, who was not on duty but viewed the footage yesterday with police.

She said the victim, who suffered bruising and was in shock after being punched, was a regular at the pub with his partner.

The friendly pair apparently patronise the Scott Street establishment two to three times a week.

“They’re a very popular couple, you couldn’t meet nicer customers,” she said.

“Everyone is welcome here, we pride ourselves on having such a diverse clientele – young, old, gay, straight and everyone is treated exactly the same.”

On CCTV footage, the victim is seen seated at a table chatting to pals when a shaven-headed man approaches.

“Apparently he started talking about football and when (the victim) said he’s not interested in football, that’s when he said, ‘are you gay?’ which is just so shocking,” said Ms Cooper.

A Tayside Police spokesman said the ugly assault was totally unprovoked, with the offender calling the victim a “f***ing poof” before punching him in the face at least three times.

“We are treating this homophobic incident very seriously and are appealing to anyone who was at the pub or who may be able to assist us in identifying this offender to contact us,” he said.

The suspect, not believed to be a regular at the Twa Tams, was described as being 6ft tall with a medium build and shaved head.

At the time he was wearing a white polo shirt, cargo pants and trainers.

Ms Cooper said she and her staff had been shocked at incident, adding there was rarely any trouble at the popular live music venue.

“It was absolutely horrendous, sickening,” she said.

She said concerned staff had recently contacted the victim and his partner, who were still distressed but had indicated they still intended to frequent their local pub, regardless.