A thug brutally attacked a beggar outside a Perth supermarket, leaving him with a broken wrist.
Richard Miller admitted a seemingly unprovoked assault on the man as he sat at the entrance to the city’s Morrison’s store in January last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how victim Jamie Hodge “crawled” into the shop to get away from his attacker.
Miller, 36, pled guilty to assaulting Mr Hodge to his severe injury.
His not guilty plea was accepted to a further allegation he assaulted and robbed a woman in the city’s Tay Street in February.
Bullying
Fiscal depute Rachel Hill said: “At about 9pm on January 29 2024, the complainer was begging outside Morrison’s supermarket.
“He was talking to a friend when he was struck to the right side of his head.
“Mr Hodge could see that it was the accused, who continued to repeatedly punch him to the head and kick him on the body.
“The complainer was able to crawl into the supermarket to take a basket, before returning outside.”
Mr Hodge asked Miller: “Why do you keeping bullying me?”
Miller replied: “Because you keep talking s*** about me.”
Ms Hill said: “The accused then repeatedly punched Mr Hodge to the head and kicked him to the body.
“He managed to escape into the supermarket, while the accused ran off.”
Several shoppers and staff ran to Mr Hodge’s aid.
Police were called and Mr Hodge was taken to hospital.
Ms Hill said: “The complainer suffered injuries including bruising above his right ear.
“Following an X-ray, it was confirmed that both bones in his left wrist were broken.”
Remanded
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client had been on remand since February 12.
“His intention would be to move out of the area to be near his mum and find work in Glasgow,” he said.
The court heard Miller is still to be sentenced for other charges of assault and threatening behaviour.
Sheriff Alison McKay told him: “The matters calling before this court are individually quite serious but taken together they give me some concern for the safety of the public as far as your conduct is concerned.”
Miller, listed as a prisoner in Perth, will continue to be remanded as he awaits sentencing next month.
In November, Miller was acquitted of an alleged assault on an octogenarian taxi driver.
John Chapman, 87, told how he fought back when he was attacked by a passenger, conceding to the court: “My Muhammad Ali days are behind me”.
But he said he was not able to identify the culprit, saying of Miller – the man prosecutors believed was responsible – “I don’t think this is the same guy.”
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