Spared prison, council architect who chased terrified boy, 14, with meat cleaver in wine-fuelled rampage

A city council’s senior architect has dodged a prison sentence for chasing a terrified child with a meat cleaver during a wine-fuelled rampage.

Colin Doig downed most of three bottles of wine before the terrifying pursuit which left the 14-year-old boy fearing he was going to be killed.

The 57-year-old also attacked his wife during the rampage and left her with a severe ankle injury which required emergency surgery and the insertion of eight pins and a metal plate.

However, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith allowed Doig to walk free from Dundee Sheriff Court because he was a first offender who pled guilty at an early stage and was in ‘continuous good employment’.

The sheriff, who imposed 225 hours of unpaid work, told Doig: ‘There was significant benefit from the plea because your wife and the boy did not require to be on tenterhooks about attending court.

‘The consumption of alcohol will never provide a defence and the consumption of alcohol will not provide proper mitigation. It’s clear you perhaps minimised the amount you had drunk when talking to the author of the social work report.

‘You and your wife shared three bottles of wine and your wife told the police you had drunk most of it. The sentence is a direct alternative to custody.’

Solicitor Gary McIlravey, defending, said Doig and his wife had reconciled and the Aberdeen City Council architect would move back into the family’s Broughty Ferry home.

Aberdeen City Council senior architect Doig pursued the child and injured his wife at an address in Dundee on 20 November 2022.

The teenager, who is now 15 and cannot be identified, told police he feared for his life.

It was revealed Doig’s wife went to bed at 9.30pm and he became involved in an argument with a child.

Fiscal depute Lee Corr said: ‘The accused picked up a meat cleaver from the knife block. He said to the boy ‘come on if you are such a big man.’

‘He started chasing (the complainer) around the kitchen island with the meat cleaver in his possession.

‘The child was in fear of what the accused might do and locked himself in the upstairs bathroom. The accused placed the knife down and pursued him up the stairs.

‘The accused’s wife was awoken by the noise and exited into the hallway.’ Doig repeatedly punched and kicked the door while shouting and swearing.

The court heard he banged the door so hard it cracked and caused his own hand to bleed. His wife tried to pull Doig back, but he pushed her on the chest, causing her to fall backwards.

Mr Corr added: ‘His wife got back up and as soon as she was on her feet, he pushed her over again, this time causing her to injure her ankle, which caused her significant pain.

‘This was overheard by the child who was against the door and could hear the woman falling and screaming. The accused headed to the bathroom. At this point, the child opened the door.

‘The woman contacted the police as she was frightened by the accused’s actions and what he might do.’

Doig waited outside the property for police, who found him visibly under the influence of alcohol. After being arrested, Doig claimed: ‘It was self-defence.’

The woman declined to be seen by paramedics and said she would attend at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee in the morning. Eight pins and a plate were put into her ankle during surgery.

She was off work for several weeks but by March 2024 had made a full recovery.

Doig previously pled guilty to acting aggressively by pursuing the child with a meat cleaver, repeatedly punching and kicking a door and shouting and screaming.

He also admitted repeatedly pushing his wife on the body, causing her to fall to the floor and inflicting severe injury upon her in November 2022.

The court was told that Doig was continuing to work in Aberdeen and arrangements would be made for him to carry out unpaid work at weekends.

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