A Dundee man is behind bars after abducting a city man, driving him to Templeton Woods and subjecting him to a vicious crowbar assault.
Stephen Bell left his victim with a collapsed lung and multiple facial fractures after cutting off the man’s ankle tag and forcing him to conceal drugs inside his body.
Bell stood trial at Dundee Sheriff Court and was unanimously convicted.
He is now behind bars and will be sentenced later this month after social workers have prepared a background report.
After being led away in cuffs, a sheriff told jurors: “Crimes of this nature, I’m pleased to advise you – in my experience – are relatively rare.”
Abduction
At a property in Dundee’s Caldrum Street, Bell demanded his victim Charles Jamieson breach a court-imposed curfew and cut the man’s electronic tag off his ankle.
He then forced the man to conceal tobacco and controlled drugs inside his body and then put him in a car.
Bell then drove Mr Jamieson to Templeton Woods where he threatened to harm the man’s mother and forced him into the car’s boot, detaining him against his will.
Bell then unleased the life-endangering assault which left the man “severely” injured.
He repeatedly punched and kicked his victim on the head and body and struck him on the head with a crowbar.
At the time of the offence, Bell was out on bail.
Mr Jamieson was found to have suffered injuries including a left-sided large haemothorax – blood entering the pleural cavity, most likely caused by chest trauma.
This required a chest drain to be surgically fitted.
He had a collapsed left lung and emphysema – also requiring a chest drain to be treated.
He suffered a nasal fracture, a cheekbone fracture, a sinus wall fracture, swelling, bruising and scratching.
Convicted
Bell, of Pentland Avenue in Dundee, denied abducting Mr Jamieson and subjecting him to the life-threatening assault across February 4 and 5.
However, jurors quickly and unanimously found him guilty.
They also unanimously convicted him of possessing Class C drugs Gabapentin and Etizolam – known as Street Valium.
Solicitor Jane Caird explained her client has spent around nine months on remand in connection with the matter.
She said the last time he was jailed was a short sentence in 2017.
Sheriff Paul Ralph remanded Bell and ordered reports ahead of sentencing on February 28.
The sheriff described the 38-year-old’s offending as “particularly unpleasant,” “sordid” and “demeaning.”
After Bell had been led out of court in handcuffs, the sheriff told jurors the case was “not an easy case to hear” and added Bell was being sentenced “almost certainly to custody.”
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