Father sentenced for pub attack
A thug who smashed a long-term enemy over the head with a bar stool escaped jail when his 12-month prison sentence was suspended yesterday (Thursday).
Nicholas Parker, 42, from Boswell Close in Radlett, had pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm, but was cleared of intending the serious injuries by a jury at St Albans Crown Court earlier this year.
He launched his attack on his victim Richard Lee at The King William IV in Shenley on July 19 2007, following a history of arguments between the pair.
Mr Lee, who suffered serious facial injuries including fractures to his cheek bone, had earlier provoked Parker by making a personal comment but was hit while sitting down with friends.
Judge Marie Catterson, who sentenced Parker at St Albans Crown Court, told him: "It is absolutely clear that the victim posed no serious physical threat to you at all, and what you did was a vast and wholly unreasonable over-reaction.
"It was only by the grace of God that you are not stood here today facing a real tragedy."
Parker's backlog of previous convictions over the last 20 years include three for violence, one for possessing cannabis for intent to supply and one for possessing a weapon.
But his prison sentence was suspended after Judge Catterson decided his threat to the public was not significant.
She said: "Your behaviour is troubling. It's plain that you have the capacity to behave on occasions with significant and unlawful violence to other people. But it is important that your previous offending was a long time ago, so you are also capable of controlling yourself for long periods of time.
"Although you plainly pose some risk of offending again in the future, you do not pose a significant risk."
The judge took into account Parker's "dire" financial situation and that he worked as a self-employed painter and decorator to support his family, including two children.
On top of the prison term, suspended for two years, Parker was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and barred from entering any licensed premises for four months.
He must also commit to an anger management programme under the supervision of probation officers and pay £200 costs.
The judge concluded: "I have no doubt that you have been told this before - but this really is your last chance."
4:38pm Friday 18th April 2008
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