Drunk son lashed out at his parents

Aug 12 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A BOOZED-UP ex-squaddie attacked both his father and mother when he returned home after a marathon drinking session.

And when the police were called, 19-year-old Arran Blyth, formerly of Neave Court, North Muirton, turned on a female officer and kicked her, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

The former soldier, who is now a swimming pool attendant at the Auchrannie Country Club in the island of Arran, had his sentence deferred again when he appeared in the dock yesterday.

He will return to court on February 4 and was told, in the meantime, to save up £20 a week towards compensation for his victims.

At an earlier appearance in February, Blyth stood shamefaced in the dock as Sheriff Robert McCreadie told his lawyer: “He should humble himself before his parents and ask for their forgiveness.”

The Sheriff branded Blyth's conduct “mindless, utterly stupid and immature” and said he should be ashamed for striking not only his parents, but a female member of the police force.

Yesterday, Blyth said he had apologised to his parents who now wanted the matter brought to a close so they could all get on with their lives.

In a letter to the court, Mr and Mrs Blyth, of Strathearn Place, Perth, said their son was “deeply ashamed” and regretted his actions that night.

The court heard that on January 9 Blyth had started drinking pints of lager, along with vodka and Red Bull, when he met an army friend at noon.

The assaults, which took place at his parents' home, happened several hours later.

First, he committed a breach of the peace by shouting and swearing in the house and threatening violence, before pushing his father, Kevin, on the body and knocking him to the ground.

Then he turned on his mother, Yvonne, punching her repeatedly on the head and pulling her hair.

The police were summoned, but Blyth still wouldn't calm down and kicked PC Louise Murray on the wrist.

Solicitor Rosie Scott said that since returning home from the army, the level of alcohol Blyth consumed had gradually increased.

But she added: “I have spoken to his mother and she advises me that he has dramatically reduced his alcohol intake since appearing in court.”

She said yesterday that the accused was making a new life for himself in Arran as a leisure attendant and had been in no further trouble during a six-month deferral.

Deferring sentence for a further six months, Sheriff Robert McCreadie told Blyth: “I am well satisfied with your current progress.

“You clearly have realised the error of your ways. You were heading for a very nasty place indeed if you continued to offend and would have caused damage to your health if you continued to drink the way you did.”