A game of “Chickenellie” turned nasty when a Forfar man chased down and attacked a schoolboy who knocked on his door and ran away.
Gary Davidson dragged the fleeing youngster off a wall in the afternoon attack witnessed by a horrified mum and her young daughter.
He has been ordered to pay £200 to his 13-year-old victim.
A sheriff said Davidson may have been provoked into his actions but had gone over the score with the assault which left the boy with a bloodied nose and mouth.
The 38-year-old, of Viewmount, Forfar, pleaded guilty by letter to assaulting the boy on July 2 this year, seizing him by the clothing, pulling him off a wall and pushing him into a hedge before repeatedly punching him on the head to his injury.
Depute fiscal Matthew Kerr said the offence happened around 4pm when the victim and friends had walked from Asda in Forfar to the town’s Reid Park.
“An independent witness walking with her children shouted up to the group of youths that she hoped they weren’t knocking on the accused’s door and running off,” said Mr Kerr.
Chap on this door again and I’ll burst you.
Accused Gary Davidson
“She then saw the accused run past her towards the group.”
The other youths made off and Davidson was heard to shout: “Chap on this door again and I’ll burst you.”
The fiscal added: “The accused ran and grabbed the complainer, who attempted to escape by jumping over a wall.
“He pulled the complainer down off the wall and then punched him in the face a number of times.”
The court heard the mother pleaded with Davidson to stop but he continued to attack the boy, causing her daughter to start crying hysterically.
Clearly there was severe provocation, but nothing to warrant doing what he did.
Sheriff Gregor Murray
Davidson finally stopped and went home, leaving the teenager with a bleeding nose and top gum.
The boy told his mother what had happened and she went to the accused’s home to challenge him.
But it was Davidson who called police to report that she had turned up there, the court heard.
He then admitted to officers he had assaulted the youngster when quizzed about the incident.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said Davidson had shown “considerable remorse” in his letter to the court and hadn’t offended for more than 20 years.
“Clearly there was severe provocation, but nothing to warrant doing what he did,” said the sheriff.
Davidson was fined £200 and ordered to pay the teenager £200 compensation.
