Thug guilty of battering gran
Dragged victim down stairs
A thug was last week found guilty of battering an Uddingston gran and robbing her in her home.
Christopher Cairns had dragged Theresa Campbell down a flight of stairs at her Mulberry Road house on March 18 last year before smashing a table, repeatedly demanding drugs and repeatedly punching and kicking her on the head and body. He also robbed her of a set of keys and a phone battery.
The 20-year-old had gone on trial along with a teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons. They were accused of assaulting Ms Campbell to her injury and robbing her.
During the course of the trial the prosecutor indicated he was no longer seeking the teenager’s conviction and he was acquitted.
The indictment was then changed to allege that Cairns had carried out the assault and robbery while acting with another.
Cairns was convicted of assaulting and robbing the gran last Friday after a three-day trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court
A joint minute read out to the jury during the trial stated Ms Campbell was found to have bruising to her eyes and nose as well as a small cut to her right forehead.
There were also cuts to the top of her head and the left side of her head. An x-ray of the nasal injury was carried out, but did not reveal any fracture.
A table leg was seized by officers at Ms Campbell’s Mulberry Road address and later analysed by forensic scientists. It was found to bear blood which contained Theresa Campbell’s DNA.
During the course of the trial the prosecutor also indicated that he was no longer seeking Cairns’ conviction on a charge of stealing a tin containing £60 or thereabouts in cash and he was acquitted.
Cairns had originally been accused of repeatedly striking Ms Campbell on the head and body with a table leg.
However, the jury returned a majority guilty verdict on the assault and robbery charge which deleted mention of this aspect of the charge.
Sheriff Daniel Kelly deferred sentence on Cairns, whose address was given as Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution, until August 11 for a criminal justice social work report.
He was remanded meantime.
After the March 18 attack Ms Campbell’s daughter Stacey Clements, who lives in Australia, had posted on social media following the attack that her mother was “a kind and gentle person who would not hurt anyone.”
An online appeal raised money so that Theresa could visit her family Down Under.
Stacey thanked all those who had helped her mother following the attack.
She had said: “The support is so overwhelming and goes to show how much people love and respect her.” in custody
The support shows how much people love and respect her