Three young men who launched a vicious “revenge attack” on a homeless man in Pitlochry have avoided going to prison.
Friends Anthony Cameron (22), of York Place, Perth; Rory Grant (20), of Old School Place, Pitlochry; and Gavin Morrow (24), now of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court after admitting punching Robert Thomson repeatedly to the head and body on June 13 last year.
Sheriff Robert McFarlane warned the men that the outcome of the assault could have been “far graver” had patrolling police officers not caught them in the act.
He ordered them to complete 175 hours of community service and each pay their victim £200 in compensation.
The incident on Atholl Street took place shortly before 2am, when revellers were pouring out of nearby pubs.UnconsciousDepute fiscal Katie Pacholek told the court that Mr Thomson, who was known to sleep in a tent on the outskirts of the town, was left unconscious and bleeding heavily.
Ms Pacholek continued, “Officers in a marked police vehicle were parked outside a local pub when their attention was drawn to the three accused further up the street.
“The group were obscured by a parked car but seemed to be doing something, so the officers went up to see what was going on.
“The accused were punching the complainer to the head and body.
“He was lying on the ground motionless and unable to protect himself.
“On realising they had been spotted by the police, the men made off in separate directions but were later caught.
“One officer stopped to immediately attend to the injured man.
“His eyes were rolled back, his breathing was laboured and he was bleeding heavily from a deep laceration to the head.
Morrow and Cameron had been involved in altercations with Mr Thomson in the past, although neither were reported to the police.
Solicitor Paul Ralph said Morrow, a restaurant manager, had been left unconscious by the side of the road after being attacked by Mr Thomson a few weeks earlier.StitchesDefending Cameron, Rosie Scott said her client had received stitches after a drunken fight with Mr Thomson the night before the incident.
Mr Thomson declined medical attention and refused to give a statement to the police but the Crown made the decision to prosecute the three men.
Sentencing the men, Sheriff McFarlane said, “The question is what might have happened if the police officers had not come up the street they were the catalyst for you to leave the scene.
“And that scene showed you all laying into someone who was laying on the ground motionless.
“It would seem it is fortuitous that the officers caught you when they did to bring this vicious assault to an end.
“You should not have taken the law into your own hands.”
The sheriff warned, “If you had been convicted of the original more serious charge, and had Thomson sought medical attention, I would have imposed a custodial sentence.”