A man with an “atrocious” record who knocked another man unconscious by stamping on his head has been jailed for five years.
Drug addict Steven Batchelor carried out the vicious attack less than a month after hitting the national headlines for being pictured slumped unconscious with his trousers around his ankles in a Dundee close.
A trial was shown CCTV footage of Batchelor’s assault on 40-year-old Alexander McGregor in a Dundee courtyard.
A jury rejected Batchelor’s “absolutely ludicrous” claim that he had been acting in self defence, reaching their unanimous guilty verdict after just over an hour.
Following the conviction the court was told Batchelor was still on licence at the time for a serious assault that happened during a mass brawl that resulted in a man’s death in 2012.
A 10-minute CCTV clip showed Mr McGregor trying to walk away while Batchelor blocked his path in Irvine’s Square courtyard.
Batchelor is then seen striking Mr McGregor, who falls to the ground, before stamping on his helpless victim once with both feet.
Mr McGregor, who told the trial he had very little recollection of the assault, is later seen staggering away from the scene of the incident.
The trial was shown photos of his injuries, which included two black eyes and a broken nose.
Batchelor, 34, was found guilty of assaulting Alexander McGregor by repeatedly punching him on the head, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body and stamping on his head, rendering him unconscious to his severe injury at Irvine’s Square on September 19.
His co-accused, 35-year-old Clare Rollo, was found guilty of the theft of a camera on the same date.
Paul Parker Smith, defending, said: “He does not hold out any hope of an alternative to a custodial sentence and Mr Batchelor throws himself on the mercy of the court.”
Jailing Batchelor for five years, Sheriff Tom Hughes told him: “I have been told about your previous convictions and it is fair to say you have an atrocious record, particularly with regards to violence.
“Mr Parker Smith is correct in his assessment that a custodial sentence is inevitable. I am also aware you presented a defence of self-defence. That defence was absolutely ludicrous and had no prospect of success.
“You should have known you would have had one-third off your sentence if you had been decent enough to face up to the consequences of your actions at the first stage.”
Sentence was deferred on Rollo for good behaviour until July 15.