A Dundee addict subjected a stranger to a life-endangering robbery in a city stairwell, then stole his victim’s car.
Darren Jackson was locked up for 30 months for the assault in a common close in Balunie Avenue last year.
Jackson pounced on the man and demanded “keys, keys, keys” before attacking him, including stamping on his head.
The victim was left unresponsive in a pool of blood as Jackson made off in the stolen car.
The man required physiotherapy, lost more than £1,000 in earnings for time off work and has been left with permanent scarring.
Sudden attack
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson said Jackson’s victim went to the block of flats at 9.15pm, parking his Ford Fiesta outside.
Jackson had just been told to leave a flat there and the man said “what like?” to him.
Jackson followed him to the ground floor then grabbed him from behind, throwing him to the ground and began shouting: “Keys, keys, keys”.
Jackson then attacked, stamping on his victim’s head until he lost consciousness.
He admitted throwing him to the ground, causing him to strike his head off a wall, placing his arm around his neck and choking him, restricting his breathing.
He further admitted repeatedly slapping him on the head and kicking him on the head and body and repeatedly stamping on his head, rendering him unconscious.
Another person entered the block as Jackson was walking out.
They found the man lying with his head in a pool of blood, breathing but not responsive.
Ambulance discovery
The court was shown a series of Ring doorbell clips which captured Jackson’s victim shouting for help during the sustained attack.
Jackson’s victim suffered bruising to his cheek, forehead and shoulder blade, a superficial skin avulsion on the bridge of his nose and concussion.
He was discharged from Ninewells the following day and the back of his head is now permanently scarred
While in an ambulance to hospital, Jackson’s victim realised he had also been robbed of his £500 phone, wallet containing a drivers licence and other cards, £110 in cash and his car keys.
Police traced the vehicle on October 4, travelling in Dundee with false plates.
Accused ‘horrified’ by footage
Jackson, 32, was brought from HMP Perth to Forfar Sheriff Court last week and admitted the September 29 2023 life-endangering assault and robbery.
Ms Wilkinson said unemployed Jackson has previous convictions for road traffic offences, drugs, dishonesty, breaching court orders, threatening and abusive behaviour and housebreaking.
The summer before, he was disqualified from driving for three years.
At the time of the attack, Jackson was subject to bail orders from Dundee, Perth and Forfar Sheriff Courts.
Solicitor Anika Jethwa said her client is already serving a jail sentence, working as a prison barber, and was due to begin a supervised release order in mid-January.
“There’s a huge background of drug misuse.
“Mr Jackson’s offending in the past has, in large, been more acquisitive than violent.
“At the time of the offence, he was not on a drug programme and he was not on his mental health medication.”
Ms Jethwa added: “He is horrified by the nature of that video – I think he finds it hard to watch it himself.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown jailed Jackson for 30 months and imposed a six-month supervised release order.
As well as the stairwell assault, Jackson also pled guilty to breaking into Sun Shack Tanning on Pitkerro Road in Dundee on August 22 last year and stealing money, for which he was given a concurrent seven-month jail sentence.
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