Thugs spared jail term for horror attack on pensioner

TWO racist thugs who admitted throwing bricks and lit fireworks at a disabled pensioner have been spared jail.

Jack Gemmell, 18, and a 17-yearold male who cannot be identified, launched the vicious assault on refugee Able Miller at his Springburn home.

The pair were part of a group who yelled “You are the black b***** bus driver”.

Gemmell and his pal, along with others, took turns lighting fireworks from a box and throwing them in the 62-year-old’s direction.

Last month at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Gemmell, from Springburn, and the other teenager admitted racially assaulting Mr Miller on November 6, last year, at Berryburn Place to his injury.

Yesterday, sheriff Daniel Scullion gave both men 18-month community payback orders with a number of conditions.

He told them: “It’s quite clear that this incident has had a very considerable effect on Mr Miller.”

“Each of you along with others unknown, took part in an appalling attack on Mr Miller.

“By your pleas you accept that your conduct in so doing was racially aggressive.”

Both will be supervised for the duration of the order, they must carry out 210 hours of unpaid work and wear a tag for three months and stay at home during certain times of the day.

Speaking at the time, Mr Miller told how he arrived in Scotland in 2002 from Zimbabwe where he was a wealthy engineer and stood for election to his country’s parliament in 2000.

He said: “When I saw the flash of the first firework, I thought they were going to burn us out. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I went out to try and stop them.

“My daughter has Down’s Syndrome and she ran frightened to hide under the bed.

“I’d do anything to protect my children.”

The court heard Mr Miller’s wife and two daughters were in the house around 12.30am when there was a “loud explosion type noise” from his front garden.

He was “fearful that may be damage to his home” and checked CCTV he has of his driveway and saw Gemmell, the other teenager and three others including a female.

He saw one of the group holding a box of fireworks and went outside to check what was happening.

Fireworks and bricks were hurled at him, with several striking him.

Yesterday, defence lawyer Marisa Borland said Gemmell has been doing volunteer work and has written a letter to Mr Miller showing “genuine remorse” which he hopes will be passed to his victim.