A cowardly thug who knocked a stranger unconscious at a busy Dundee city centre taxi rank, then ran away, has been locked up.
Barry Thomson left the man with severe injuries after the “unprovoked” attack on Nethergate in front of horrified witnesses on March 19 2023.
Dundee Sheriff Court was previously told how an aggressive Thomson tried to push his way to the front of the queue, before verbally abusing a group of women.
A man tried to intervene to calm the situation before being thumped by Thomson.
He was left unconscious and bloodied, with hospital scans later showing several fractures to parts of his face.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told Thomson: “The evidence showed very clearly you were intoxicated and were behaving in an aggressive and rude manner towards a group of women who were waiting in a queue for a taxi after enjoying a night out in Dundee.
“The complainer tried to come to their assistance but before he could do so, you assaulted him.
“This was unprovoked. Your behaviour towards him and those women was unacceptable.”
Trial evidence
A trial previously heard from Susan Young, who had been in the queue at the time and said Thomson pushed behind her friends while acting aggressively.
Ms Young, 55, said: “He was approaching really closely calling us bitches, telling us we’d not be getting in three separate taxis and we would be getting in one taxi.
“He was generally just calling us names and swearing.
“I asked him why he was so angry and asked him to calm down.”
Describing the attack on the victim, who she did not know, Ms Young said: “He was at the end of the taxi queue with a group of people.
“He must have seen it (Thomson’s behaviour) and shouted something like ‘that’s women’.
“He just got punched and he was knocked out. He fell back and smashed his head on the ground and was unconscious.”
Ms Young said Thomson ran away towards a lane next to the Trades House Bar, while she and her friends stayed with the bloodied man, awaiting paramedics.
She replied “absolutely not” when it was suggested the victim was the aggressor.
Disputed facts
Painter and decorator Thomson, a convicted domestic abuser, claimed he acted in self-defence.
He said: “He has come from the back to middle of the queue to get in my face.
“I wasn’t the aggressor. I didn’t want to fight anybody. I wanted to get home.”
In cross-examination, prosecutor Michael Robertson said to Thomson: “You were the one acting aggressively in the taxi queue – he wasn’t acting aggressively in the queue.”
Thomson responded: “I punched him. I am very sorry I punched him. Some of the facts are not correct.
“I don’t think a push would stun someone enough to get them away.”
Thomson, who had to be reprimanded for interrupting evidence, claimed the female witnesses were “absolutely steaming drunk” and said they were verbally abusing him.
Jailed
Solicitor David Holmes said Thomson would have been in a position to pay compensation at £100 per month or perform unpaid work.
Sheriff Carmichael believed only one sentence was appropriate, however, saying: “You have some previous convictions including one with a domestic aggravation.
“There are some limited, non-custodial sentences available.
“However, due to the nature of this assault and the resulting injuries, a custodial sentence is required.
“This is also needed in order to reflect society’s disapproval of such behaviour.”
Thomson, 37, of Monart Road in Perth, was jailed for seven months.
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