The girlfriend of a convicted Dundee murderer was beaten up by a friend of his victim in a revenge attack, a court has heard.
Shelley Millar punched and kicked Melissa McKay, the girlfriend of Matthew Pope, who battered Michael Given to death in Dundee’s Elders Court in 2013.
Miss McKay sustained facial injuries and a possible broken rib in the attack which took place a month after Pope was jailed for life at the High Court in Aberdeen last February.
Depute fiscal Douglas Wiseman said there was “bad feeling” between the accused, her friends and Miss Mckay, as Millar was friends with both Mr Given and his sister.
Mr Wiseman said: “Witness Miss McKay states she was approached by one of the accused’s friends who grabbed her and a fight ensued.
“She then heard one of the females present saying ‘that’s her that’s Matty Pope’s girlfriend’.
“She was then approached by the accused who then began punching and kicking her to the head and body.
“She had obvious bruising and swelling to her face, bruises to her legs and a bleeding nose and a burst lip.”
John Boyle, defending, said: “There was bad feeling, given the murder by Miss McKay’s boyfriend of one of her close friends.
“There were also comments made previously on Facebook. When the complainer was seen by friends, Miss Millar initially intervened.”
Millar, 23, of Midmill Road, admitted assaulting Melissa McKay by punching her on the head and body, all to her injury, in Thurso Gardens on March 24 last year.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “I regard this as a very serious offence. This was an assault which the victim did not in any way provoke.
“It was an assault motivated by an incipient feeling, since we know the man in question had committed murder.
“This was dealt with by the High Court of Justiciary and it should not be tolerated that members of the public should wreak vengeance on anyone who had dealings with him.
“I treat that as a mitigating factor and a jail sentence is likely.”
Sentence was deferred until February 3 and Millar was remanded in custody.