A Dundee thug who battered a woman on the head with a wooden plaque in her own home has been jailed.
Jason Chan, 37, pled guilty to the vicious assault on Victoria McGowan, in which he also repeatedly kicked her on the head, punched her on the head and body and left her with severe injuries and scarring.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard his victim’s injuries included cuts to her head and a tooth which was “hanging off and wobbly.”
The court heard Chan and his then-partner, Kerrie Ann Christie, had been staying at the woman’s home for a few days when a disagreement between them turned violent after she asked Chan and Christie to leave.
He was later found in public with a razor blade which he used to cut drugs.
Violent attack
Procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus told the court Victoria McGowan fell to the floor and Chan kicked her on the head during the incident in Kirkton’s Helmsdale Avenue on November 28 2020.
The depute fiscal said: “The accused picked up an ornamental wooden plaque – about six inches by four inches – and repeatedly struck Victoria McGowan to the face and back of the head.
“Victoria McGowan was screaming for help and managed to phone her daughter, who made her way there.”
Paramedics were called and the victim was found to have a laceration to her forehead which Ms McManus said “may leave permanent scarring”.
The depute fiscal added: “There was also a deep laceration to the back of the head and her front left tooth was hanging off and wobbly.
“Her jaw was also sore and swollen.”
The court heard police stopped Chan and Christie later that day in nearby Balmuir Road and Chan was found to be carrying a razor blade.
Both Chan and Christie also admitted being found in possession of Etizolam tablets, also known as street Valium.
Sentence
Chan was jailed for a total of more than three years when he appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He admitted charges of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement, carrying a razor blade and possessing the class C drugs.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told him: “This was a vicious attack on somebody who allowed you to stay in their house.
“This was a gross breach of their hospitality and involved kicking to the head which is always extremely serious, as is striking her on the head with a wooden plaque to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
“You have a bad record of violence.”
The sheriff jailed him for 32 months and 15 days for the assault and another 160 days for the possession of the razor blade.
These sentences will run consecutively and were backdated to May 21 last year when a previous prison sentence for Chan expired.
Chan has been remanded in custody for the past 16 months.
Drug-taking
Both Chan and Christie, 34, were fined £675 for possession of the Etizolam.
Defence solicitors Amy Fox and Ross Donnelly, acting for Christie and Chan respectively, said their clients and Victoria McGowan had all been taking drugs together at the time of the incident.
Ms Fox said the Valium which police found on Christie was for her personal use.
The solicitor also said Christie, whose address in court was given as the Lily Walker Centre on Ann Street, has not offended since, is no longer using drugs and has found employment.
Mr Donnelly said Chan was carrying a razor blade to “cut up drugs” but should clearly not have had this in a public place.
