Thug caked teen in hair dye after kicking her
ATHUG who kicked a 14-year-old schoolgirl then covered her in yellow hair dye has been locked up for a year. Ross Platt, 44, pounced on the terrified victim on Paisley Road West on August 17, last year.
He demanded the girl hand over her phone amid claims she was filming him vandalising a shop.
Platt, who has 15 previous convictions for violence, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to assaulting the girl with intent to rob her.
He was sentenced to six months for this offence, but first ordered to serve 154 days from an earlier jail term he had been freed from.
The court heard the girl and a 13-year-old friend were en route to a park when confronted by Platt.
He said: “F***ing move – put your phone down.”
The girl thought Platt was talking to someone else and moved away.
Prosecutor Emily Macreath said: “He then moved towards her and kicked her to the left side of her hip.
“He shouted ‘put your f***ing phone down’ and grabbed her by the body which caused her to fall to the ground.
“He said ‘you want luminous’ while holding a tin of coloured hairspray.
“She attempted to cover her face and eyes with her arms, heard the sound of the spray and felt it hitting her face.”
Platt rifled for the phone before he was pushed off the girl by members of the public.
He then fled the scene and was arrested the following day in Paisley.
Eamonn McGeehan, defending, told the court Platt had been vandalising a shop after being refused drugs.
Sentencing the accused, Sheriff Sean Murphy QC told Platt: “You have an appalling record for cases of violence.”
TRIBUTES have been paid to two teenagers who tragically died in a road crash in Lanarkshire on Thursday afternoon.
Emergency services attended the incident on Waverley Drive in Wishaw after a collision involving an off-road motorbike and a vehicle.
Leon Fitzpatrick, 18, and Derek Paton, 19, both sadly died at the scene.
Friends of Leon have told how he had a heart of gold” who would “do anything for anyone”as they have been left “devastated” by his death.
Lauren Coulter, Leon’s family friend and neighbour, said: “He was so funny and friendly, he would never do anything wrong to anyone.
“We used to all hang about together on our street. He was so funny, bubbly and caring. Everybody loved him.
“It is devastating and such a shock, it hasn’t really kicked in yet that he is gone.
“You just don’t know what is around the corner. It was so hard seeing on Facebook last night and this morning that he is gone. You just don’t expect it.”
An online fundraiser has since been set up by the teenager’s friends in their hope to cover funeral and flower costs.
Heartbroken Lauren added: “He was forever making everyone laugh. He would always be there for you if you needed someone, too. He had a heart of gold. He would never do bad to anyone or hurt anyone.
“It has just come as a massive shock for us, he had everything going for him. He had such a massive life ahead of him.
“We have set up this fundraiser to cover the costs to give him a beautiful send-off for his funeral and flowers.
“His mum is devastated and so are his siblings. She just wants her son back.”
Police inquires into the incident remain ongoing, with any witnesses urged to come forward.
Sergeant Ryan McAuley of the Road Policing Unit in Motherwell added: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this crash.
“Our inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing and we would urge anyone with information to come forward.
“Anyone who may have dashcam or private CCTV footage is asked to check this and pass on anything of note to police.”