A Dunfermline sheriff has slammed the fact that parts of Dunfermline are becoming ‘no go’ areas, while sentencing a pregnant teenager for her part in a mob attack on a vulnerable woman.
The teenager, who was in a gang of youngsters that took part in the sustained assault on the woman at Dunfermline bus station, has been ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing the 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, the sheriff said parts of Dunfermline town centre were becoming “no-go areas”.
There have been repeated complaints about gangs of youths hanging about the bus station and also the Tesco car park, drinking and causing trouble.
The sickening attack on the woman, captured on CCTV, is only one of many incidents of youth disorder, including violence and drug dealing, which have come before the court recently.
Sheriff Charles MacNair said, “Unfortunately, the bus station and car park at Tesco are becoming no-go areas for the people of Dunfermline going about their lawful activity.”
The girl previously admitted that on September 9 last year, at Dunfermline bus station, whilst acting with others, she assaulted the woman by repeatedly spitting on her head and body, repeatedly kicking her on the body, causing her to fall to the ground.
The victim, who is in her forties and has learning difficulties, was repeatedly surrounded by a group of over 20 teenage males and females.
Her ordeal – described by The Crown as “particularly nasty and distasteful” – went on for around 25 minutes during which the woman also had her hair burned with a lighter.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV and shown in full at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
The bus station was open at the time, around 11pm, with buses arriving and leaving. Others passengers waiting for their buses looked on but nobody went to the woman’s assistance before the police eventually arrived.
Solicitor David Bell said his client had become “enraged” when a racist comment was made by the victim, only for the sheriff to interrupt him and point out there had been no suggestion of provocation when a guilty plea was submitted.
Sheriff MacNair told the girl, “This was a deplorable assault over a considerable period of time. This behaviour will not be tolerated.”
He imposed a community payback order with 12 month’s supervision and 300 hours of unpaid work.
Two male youths were sentenced last week for their part in the incident.
One was given a custodial sentence and the other a community payback order with unpaid work.
Each has been banned from being part of a group of more than three people in Dunfermline town centre for five years.