I WAS KICKED SO HARD IN THE FACE I BLACKED OUT

Youngster’s claim as couple stand trial on assault charges

A young girl was kicked so hard in the face by a grown man that she blacked out with the taste of blood in her mouth, a court was told yesterday.

The youngster, who can’t be named for legal reasons, said she was attacked by Christopher Doyle, who is accused of a four-year reign of violence towards a number of school children in Paisley.

And she said Doyle, 33, told her to tell people that the reason she

had a swollen and burst lip was because she had been attacked by a Rottweiler dog.

Giving evidence to Paisley Sheriff Court via video link, the girl said she was kicked in the mouth by Doyle when she was about eight or nine years old - as was a boy who was aged seven or eight.

She explained: “He kicked us both in the mouth. He had boots on.

“They were really hard. I was bleeding. “It was really sore. “I was nearly crying but I didn’t because I was scared in case he hit me again.

“My lip was swollen and I was bleeding.

“I got kicked another time. I think I blacked out.

“I don’t remember anything after that except when I woke up and my lips were all swollen and bleeding.

“It was really swollen and bleeding really bad.

“I felt it was really swollen and I could taste the blood in my mouth.”

She added: “He said I had to blame it on the dog jumping up on me.”

The girl claimed that she was repeatedly attacked by Doyle and his wife, Siobhan Doyle, 29, and on one occasion was thrown to the floor from head height.

And she said she witnessed other children being attacked by the pair at a home in Ferguslie Park.

The Doyles - who maintain their innocence - face four charges over their alleged actions towards youngsters between January 2010 and November 2014.

They are alleged to have repeatedly attacked the girl, when she was aged between six and 10, by lifting her above their head and throwing her on to the ground.

They are also said to have rained punches and slaps on her head, repeatedly kicked her on the head and body, and locked her outside.

They are also accused of repeatedly assaulting a boy, by slapping, kicking, punching and pushing him and hitting him with a remote control, when he was aged between five and nine.

Mr Doyle is also accused of two separate assault charges - pushing a boy down a flight of stairs, leaving him injured, between January 1, 2010, and November 24, 2014, and assaulting another girl, when she was aged between five and nine, by holding her over a bannister by the throat, threatening to throw her over and locking her outside a house.

He is also accused of repeatedly slapping her on the head, raining kicks on her body, knocking her to the ground, brandishing a piece of wood at her and threatening to hit her with the makeshift weapon.

The children, who can’t be named for legal reasons, are said to have been left injured by the alleged assaults.

The teenager admitted under cross examination from defence solicitor Jonathan Manson, defending Doyle, that she sometimes told lies when she was six or seven years old but had told police officers the truth when speaking to them.

The trial, before Sheriff Frances McCartney is due to continue today.