A stranger was left bloodied by a topless man who had become enraged after a fight with a former colleague.
The was unconnected to Paul Laing‘s gripe with an ex-workmate but was caught in the crossfire of the violent episode after a night out in Dundee.
Laing had left a pub in the city centre before coming across his former colleague.
“The accused became more aggressive and has punched the witness to the head,” fiscal depute Sam Craib told Dundee Sheriff Court.
He ran off and called police.
Mr Craib added bare-chested Laing came across the second man – a stranger – about an hour later.
“He did not make himself known to the accused and did not speak to him but the accused walked straight towards him, went right up to his face and spoke at him.
“The complainer can’t remember what was said but put his arm out to push the accused away.
“The accused then punched him to his head, making contact with his chin and causing his lower lip to burst open.”
Police were approaching the scene at the time and immediately arrested Laing, who admitted carrying out the assaults.
The 37-year-old, of Aboyne Avenue, pled guilty to the assaults on King Street and Morgan Street on February 15.
Defence solicitor John Boyle said: “Mr Laing had drunk a considerable quantity of alcohol.”
he said a downturn in his mental health meant he should not have been drinking but he has since sought medical assistance.
Sheriff Robert Vaughan deferred sentence until next month for a social work report to be prepared.
‘Red mist’
Abusive boyfriend Kevin Nicol subjected his partner to a campaign of cruelty spanning more than two years. The 50-year-old has been handed a community sentence after his ex-girlfriend described how she thought he was going to kill them both when a “red mist” descended.
Sexual assault
A Kirkcaldy man has been put on the sex offenders register for 18 months after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in Dysart.
Connor Teszke, 23, had denied the offence during an earlier trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court but was found guilty of touching his victim’s breast under her clothing on March 18 this year.
A witness told the trial he saw Teszke put his arm round the woman and move his hand towards her top.
He said the woman later told him Teszke “touched me up while I was sleeping”.
Sheriff Mark Allan said although there were some inconsistencies between the accounts given in court by the woman and the witness, they were “minor” and “peripheral to the main action”.
The sheriff said both Crown witnesses were believable and convicted Teszke.
Teszke also previously pled guilty to two shoplifting offences at an Aldi store in the town’s Ferrard Road on March 21 and 22 this year, stealing groceries with a combined value of £13.82.
Sheriff Mark Allan sentenced him to 18 months of offender supervision and placed him on the register for the same period.
‘Appalling’ housebreaker
Roy Tomlinson was found guilty of stealing from an elderly man’s home in an “appalling” housebreaking. Tomlinson, 57, committed his crimes in his own street, Cheviot Road, in August last year, stealing clothes, a wallet containing cards, a driving licence, an unknown quantity of cash and other items.
Attacked car
A drunken man terrorised two people in a car after jumping out in front of their vehicle, demanding a lighter.
Scott Conway went on to hit one of the men with a glass before causing damage to his vehicle during the incident at around 1.30am in the Albany Terrace area of Dundee.
Conway, 38, was clutching a glass and shouted: “I need a f***ing lighter”.
Prosecutor Sam Craib told Dundee Sheriff Court: “When the complainer informed the accused they did not have one, the accused became more aggressive, shouting, swearing and slamming his fists on the bonnet and damaging the wing mirror.
“He then used the glass to strike the windscreen twice and caused it to crack.
“The accused then made his way to the driver’s door and again struck it twice but this did not cause any damage.”
The complainer tried to leave the car to stop Conway’s onslaught but the thug closed the door on his shoulder and leg before striking him on the head with the glass.
Conway, of Kingsway, was pushed away and fled.
He appeared in court without legal representation and pled guilty to assault, damaging the vehicle and behaving abusively.
He told Sheriff Robert Vaughan: “I was heavily intoxicated and suffering bad mental health at the time. I don’t have much recollection of it all.”
Sentence was deferred until next month for a social work report to be prepared and Conway was released on bail meantime.
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