Trial told charity founder pinned child against wall

THE trial of a former Dundee citizen of the year has been told he pinned a child against a wall in a restaurant.

Charity fundraiser and business owner Charlie Kean, who received the accolade from Dundee City Council in 2012, has been accused of five charges.

A number of people gave evidence before Sheriff John Rafferty at Dundee, including Kean’s former partner Deborah Bruce.

Kean, 55, of Esplanade, Broughty Ferry, is accused of assaulting a 14-year-old child, as well as hanging a puppy from a bedroom window in May last year.

He is also alleged to have threatened to harm himself in front of a woman and child between January 1 and February 28 last year.

Charges of breaking a mobile phone belonging to another person and causing a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm are also alleged. Kean denies all five charges.

Miss Bruce told the court she and Kean had been involved in an “on-againoff-again” relationship for about 12 months, ending in May last year.

“It was a very stressful relationship, he was very emotionally needy,” said Miss Bruce. “On May 3, we were in the Weavers Mill restaurant to celebrate a friend’s birthday.”

Miss Bruce said she saw Kean pinning a child against a wall before smashing their phone on the ground.

When asked by depute fiscal Lynne Mannion why Kean would act this way, Miss Bruce replied: “(The child) was recording on their phone. I didn’t see them (do it).” Miss Bruce said the child seemed very upset following the incident.

Miss Bruce was also asked about the allegation that Kean had hung a puppy out of his bedroom window.

She said: “He would not hurt the animals but use them to goad.”

The trial was adjourned part-heard until May 15.