A family has been ordered to pay compensation to their disfigured victim after they went to his home and dragged him outside following an altercation at the local pub.
Robert Cadger, 53, Nathan Cadger 24, and Chloe Cadger, 29, sat together in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court as the details of the brutal nighttime attack were read out.
The court heard that following an argument at the Beekies Neuk pub in Newmachar involving Chloe Cadger, the man was dragged from his home and beaten about the head with a metal doormat.
The victim, who was left with permanent scarring and a broken finger, had to be taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as a result of the vicious attack.
Robert Cadger, boss of Drain Surgeon North East Ltd, narrowly avoided a prison sentence due to his role as the ringleader of the group.
Front door was forced open
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that on the evening of January 25 2020, the Cadger family were at Beekies Neuk when the victim in the case arrived with friends close to 1am.
An altercation took place and the man was ejected by staff where a further altercation between him and Chloe Cadger occurred outside, with her striking him to the head.
“About 10 minutes after arriving home the man and his partner heard a commotion outside,” Mr Rogers said.
“His partner opened the door slightly and it was thereafter forced fully open – she recognised those who had done so from Beekies Neuk.
“The male was dragged out of the front door by a number of people, including accused Nathan and Robert Cadger.
“He was variously punched and kicked to the head and body by the accused.”
The man’s partner then witnessed Robert Cadger lift a metal doormat from outside of their property and strike it off the victim’s head.
Upon being taken to hospital, the victim was found to have sustained a number of abrasions to his head a body and a fractured finger.
He also received a 7cm shallow laceration to the back of his head that resulted in scarring.
It was later established by police that the family had been informed of the victim’s address by other patrons of Beekies Neuk.
Robert and Nathan Cadger pleaded guilty to one charge of assault by punching and kicking their victim and striking him with a piece of metal.
Chloe Cadger, a hairdresser in Aberdeen, admitted one charge of assault by striking the man on the head.
With his client facing a possible prison sentence, Robert Cadger’s defence solicitor, Ronnie Renucci KC, told the court that his client had “learned a salutary lesson” from his actions that night.
“He had drank to excess and he hasn’t done that since,” he said.
“Mr Cadger runs a business and I am asking that he be allowed to continue contributing to the local economy and the local people.
“As his company’s director, he is fully responsible for his employees and the health and safety aspects of his business – but he’s not using his employees as an excuse to avoid prison.”
Prison was at ‘forefront’ of sheriff’s mind
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Robert Cadger that a custodial sentence was at the “forefront” of her mind “to reflect the public disapproval of your behaviour”.
She added: “But I have also considered the impact on your employees – and that is the one thing that has tipped the balance in terms of a prison sentence for you.
“Your employees shouldn’t be put at risk due to your actions.”
As an alternative to prison, Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced Robert Cadger, of Bydand Place, Bridge of Don, to a 10-month restriction of liberty order and ordered him to pay £3,500 in compensation to his victim.
Nathan Cadger, of Queens Den, Aberdeen, was sentenced to a two-year community payback order and a nine-month restriction of liberty order as an alternative to a custodial sentence.
He was also ordered to pay £2,500 in compensation.
Chloe Cadger, also of Bydand Place, Bridge of Don, was fined a total of £600.
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