Suspended sentence for teen 'thug' who fractured man's cheekbone

19-year-old 'extremely remorseful' for conduct outside nightclub

A teenager who behaved like a ‘thug’ has avoided being sent to prison after fracturing a man’s cheekbone outside a nightclub.

Oliver Royston Proctor, of Kiondroghad Road in Andreas, was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse after admitting assaulting him and causing grievous bodily harm.

The 19-year-old was in 1886 Bar and Grill, on Regent Street in Douglas, just before midnight on 11 November last year when his group became involved in an altercation with another.

Security staff removed everyone from the premises and, once outside, Proctor approached the man believing he’d caused his sister to fall to the ground and hit her head.  

He punched him in the face leaving him lying in the foetal position on the ground; the next day he turned himself in at Police Headquarters.

‘One Punch Could Kill’

In interview Proctor, who had no previous convictions, told officers he’d attacked the man, believing he'd assaulted his sister, because he was afraid as he knew ‘one punch could kill’.

In his basis of plea he said he had ‘no desire’ to continue the hostility outside and accepted that what he’d done had gone beyond ‘self-defence’.

Proctor’s advocate described the incident as ‘alcohol fuelled’ and a ‘spill out from licensed premises’ saying his client was ‘fortunate’ the man’s injuries hadn’t been worse.

“He’s extremely remorseful for his conduct,” the advocate told the court: “In the cold light of day what he did was abundantly wrong.”

Commenting on the situation Deemster Graeme Cook added: “He doesn’t look like a thug. He behaved like one but he doesn’t look like one!”

‘Thuggery’

Addressing Proctor in the dock Deemster Cook told him he’d ‘clearly had a mistaken view’ of what had taken place during the altercation.

“You were afraid for your sister but you went over and did the exact same thing to someone else,” he added: “This sort of thuggery should not take place on this Island.”

Sentencing the teen to 20 months in custody which will be suspended for two years he added: “Take all that onboard Mr Proctor.”

Proctor was also ordered to pay the man £500 in compensation and £200 in prosecution costs.