A jealous teenager who thumped a 49-year-old man in Dundee city centre over his “creepy” relationship with his pregnant ex-partner has been ordered to perform unpaid work.
Xander Baird, 18, left Barry Cheyne bloodied and bruised after pushing him and stamping on his head in City Square just after 3am.
Baird met his ex-girlfriend, also 18, and Mr Cheyne for a showdown after a series of abusive text messages throughout the previous day.
Before launching his assault, Baird told the woman: “It’s a bit creepy you hanging about with him.”
‘Strange, baffling involvement with 49-year-old man’
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how the woman was 13 weeks pregnant at the time.
The teenager was remanded in custody in connection with the attack but has now been freed and ordered to perform unpaid work.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “The offences to which you have pled guilty to are the result of your turbulent relationship with the complainer.
“That also included her very strange, baffling involvement with a 49-year-old man.
“I must take into account the significant mitigating factors in your case.
“You are very young, there are no previous convictions, you have had a very troubled upbringing.
“I believe there is a credible alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Stamped on head
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova previously explained how Baird had become jealous of the new relationship between his ex-partner and Mr Cheyne.
“An argument started over the phone and they arranged to meet to sort things out.
“All three arrived at City Square at 3.15am. The accused pushed Mr Cheyne on the chest, caused him to fall on the ground.
“He then stamped on his head two to three times. The female witness tried to stop the accused who ran away towards Seagate.”
Police caught up with Baird on Commercial Street a short time later and arrested him.
Mr Cheyne was found to have cuts and bruising, with an x-ray revealing a fractured shoulder blade and a one-inch cut to the side of his forehead.
The charges
Baird, a prisoner of Polmont young offender’s institute, pled guilty to pushing Mr Cheyne on the body, causing him to fall before repeatedly kicking him on the head and body and stamping on his head to his severe injury on September 22.
The teenager also breached bail conditions in October last year and February this year.
Sheriff Murray imposed a community payback order on Baird with supervision for two years and 160 hours of unpaid work.
