A “sophisticated and respectable” attacker who left a man unconscious after smashing his head into a wall in Dundee city centre has avoided a prison sentence.
Scott Lawrence was seen on CCTV grabbing the man and banging his head into the side of the Natwest Bank building on Ward Road, knocking him out, before walking away to a nearby pub last November.
Lawrence, 33, of Pitkerro Road, left Ryan Penman permanently scarred, although ultimately not severely injured, the court was told.
Following the attack, Lawrence was arrested by police who rushed to the scene after CCTV operators witnessed the brutal action.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie showed the video to the court, in which Lawrence, who has a previous High Court conviction for serious assault, was seen to grab Mr Penman and smash his head off the wall before walking to the pub.
Friends of Mr Penman tried to help him up but he was clearly unconscious and fell back to the ground.
Sheriff George Way said a jail term would have a “diminished impact” on Lawrence because he had previously served a lengthy prison sentence.
Lawrence admitted on indictment to, on November 10, at Ward Road, assaulting Ryan Penman, seizing him by the head and body, striking his head against a wall, causing him to fall to the ground and lose consciousness, all to his permanent disfigurement.
Paul Parker Smith, defending, said: “He presents as a sophisticated and respectable individual despite his previous record.
“There is a robust alternative to a custodial sentence available here and he has already served the equivalent of an eight-month sentence on remand.”
Sheriff George Way placed Lawrence on a two-year community payback order with supervision and 240 hours of unpaid work.
He also put Lawrence on an electronic tag confining him to his house between 7pm and 7am every day for seven months.
Sheriff Way said: “It seems to me that depriving him of his liberty does not meet all of the criteria for a robust punishment and deterrence.”