Lee Webster’s anniversary celebrations with his wife turned sour when an argument with another customer in John Browns Bar, ended in violence.

Malcolm Macleod, fiscal depute told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that at around 8.30pm on May 13 Webster and his wife had went into the Chalmers Street pub for a drink before going to the Empire Cinema.

The pair spilled some drinks on their table and moved to another one at which point Webster became embroiled in an argument with the other customers in the pub.

The court heard the 31-year-old began loudly telling the pub he was “just out of prison after 10 years inside”.

The argument spilled into the toilet where Webster threatened another customer, telling him “I’m going to get someone down here to shoot you” and “I’m going to shoot you”.

Staff then asked Webster to leave the pub and escorted him outside while he shouted in protest.

While Webster was arguing with staff outside, his victim, who was having a cigarette came over to see what the commotion was.

Webster told the victim it’s “nothing to do with you” and began approaching him alongside his wife, who had also left the pub at this stage.

The victim saw Webster had his right fist clenched and, worried he might have a knife, pushed Webster’s wife away and punched him.

Webster retaliated by raining down repeated blows which his victim later said felt like being hit “by a sledgehammer”, and left him unable to see out of one eye.

A passing bus driver witnessed the assault and tooted his horn but was unable to stop and do anything more.

Eventually Webster stopped his attack and left the scene in a taxi along with his wife.

Emergency services were called and the victim was taken to the Western Infirmary where he received four stitches to a 3cm wound above his right eye and further treatment on a 1cm wound to his cheek and another wound between his eyebrows.

He was also given a CT scan which showed he had soft tissue damage and communited nasal fractures.

Webster was later traced by police and charged with assault and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner. At a subsequent court hearing he pled guilty to both charges and appeared in the dock from HMP Barlinnie last week to hear his fate.

Defence lawyer Mr McPherson told the court that prior to being taken into custody, Webster lived with his wife and their four children at an address in Glasgow.

In 2011, Mr McPherson said, Webster had been convicted for a serious assault charge involving a weapon.

However, following his release from prison Webster had himself been the victim of a similar kind of attack, which had changed his life.

Mr McPherson told the court Webster’s ability to deal with violent situations had changed dramatically.

He said Webster had since been treated for post-traumatic-stress-disorder as a result of his experience.

Mr McPherson said on the night in question, Webster and his wife had been celebrating their 10th anniversary and had decided to nip into John Browns, a pub they normally didn’t frequent, for a quick drink.

After they had spilled the drink, Mr McPherson said comments were made to Webster before he went to the toilet where, he said, “more than words were exchanged”.

Mr McPherson said once Webster had been escorted from the pub he continued to argue with staff because he didn’t want to leave his wife, who was still inside.

The court heard Webster claimed he had then been approached by his victim and others who were carrying pool cues.

Mr McPherson said this had led to Webster’s “aggressive stance” because he thought he was going to be attacked, and when he was punched by the victim he “lost control completely”.

In addition, Mr McPherson said Webster couldn’t remember the attack because he had “virtually blacked out” during it.

Mr McPherson asked the court to consider Webster’s early plea and desire to have the matter resolved, despite the fact there was CCTV nearby which could have possibly backed up his version of events.

He added that Webster had hoped, for his childrens’ sake, he might be spared a custodial sentence by the court.

However, Mr McPherson acknowledged the offence itself was serious enough to warrant a prison term, and in the context of Webster’s previous record anything other than a custodial sentence would be “virtually impossible”.

Sheriff Pender was equally damning of Webster’s record describing it as “extremely bad”, but said he took into account his early plea.

The sheriff sentenced Webster to 40 months in prison for the assault and six months for behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, to be served concurrently.