On 7 January 2022, Ugur Argavan became the victim of a racially motivated assault in Perth, Scotland, in a violent attack carried out by a group of teenage youths. The incident occurred on King Street, approximately 300 metres from the local police station, highlighting a significant error in the police response following the attack.
According to court proceedings at Perth Sheriff Court, Declan Buchanan and Regan Mills, both aged 19 at the time of sentencing but only 16 when the assault took place, admitted to their involvement in the unprovoked attack on Mr Argavan. The pair, alongside two other unidentified teenagers, reportedly subjected the victim to multiple punches, kicks, and stamps while he was on the pavement. The assault rendered Mr Argavan unconscious and inflicted severe injuries, including multiple broken teeth, a blood clot in his eye, extensive bruising to his back, neck, chest and head, and a potentially permanently deformed broken nose.
The attack was witnessed by a member of the public who intervened and contacted the police at 22:13. However, police units were mistakenly dispatched to King Street in Stanley, a different town, rather than to the site of the assault in Perth. This error caused a response delay of over 20 minutes, with officers arriving at the scene at 22:35 to find Mr Argavan unconscious and being aided by bystanders.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Paterson described the attack during the court hearing: "A member of the public stopped their car and intervened when they saw the complainer being assaulted by a group of males on the pavement. On hearing the police had been called, all four accused fled the scene."
The court heard that the attack was sustained and relentless, with Buchanan identified as the "principal instigator." Sheriff William Wood acknowledged the severity and brutality of the attack, stating: "This was a cowardly attack by four people on one youngish man. You took the opportunity to further assault him when he was senseless and lying on the ground."
Despite the serious nature of the offences and the lasting impact on Mr Argavan, both Buchanan and Mills avoided custodial sentences due to their age at the time of the attack. Sheriff Wood emphasised the importance of the Scottish Sentencing Council guidelines for young offenders in his sentencing remarks: "Back on 7 January 2022 you were both children and I have to take that into account in sentencing. Conduct of this type frequently results in custodial sentences. It is only because I have to take your age into account that I'm persuaded custody is not the only way this can be dealt with."
The court ordered both to pay £5,000 in compensation to the victim and imposed six-month curfews. Additionally, Buchanan was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid community work, while Mills received 120 hours.
The case has brought attention to issues surrounding racially motivated violence, police response protocols, and juvenile sentencing in Scotland. The Daily Record is reporting the details of the incident and the subsequent legal proceedings.
Source: Noah Wire Services