A man who grabbed a teenage girl by the throat in an Angus street has been sent back to prison.
Mark Bradley had been taunted as a “junkie” by a group of youths near Arbroath’s Tesco store during an early evening incident last October.
He had been involved in a shouting match with the teenagers, but after walking away the red mist descended and he went after one 17-year-old, grabbing her by the neck.
The offence was committed just days after he had been released from jail.
Bradley, 25, of Esk Park Terrace, Brechin appeared for sentence before Sheriff Robert Dickson at Forfar, having previously admitted assaulting the woman by grabbing her by the neck at Lochlands Street in Arbroath on October 17.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said a group of youths aged 13 to 17 had been walking from the town’s Tesco just after 7pm when they encountered the accused, who had a dog with him which was not on a lead.
“One of the group made certain comments about the dog not being on a lead. The accused and a friend started challenging the group and a shouting match started,” he said.
“The complainer told the accused and his friend to leave and they then walked away, but the group followed them and started calling them junkies.
“They chased them and he grabbed the girl by the neck. She told him to leave her alone but he still had a firm grip on her neck, then violently released her, causing her to fall to the ground.
“Members of the public intervened and police were called,” the fiscal added.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said: “He is perhaps fortunate that the case is a cited one because it occurred shortly after he was released from his first prison sentence of eight months.
“He was considerably under the influence, there was a confrontation and this happened.
“He has a vague recollection of events and he apologises to the court for his behaviour,” said Mr Markowski.
“He has made positive progress since this happened, he has not committed any further offences and has his own tenancy in Brechin.”
Sheriff Dickson told Bradley: “The fact remains that you assaulted this 17-year-old girl five days after being released from custody having been sentenced to eight months for a crime of violence.
“You will return to prison for the remaining 115 days of your outstanding sentence and you will then do a further six months.”
