Thug attacked man with plank of wood

A teenage thug who attacked a man at a Raploch address with a piece of wood this week escaped custody.

Kieran Robertson had admitted a charge of assaulting Terence Aldridge senior to his injury in Hazelbank Gardens on September 5 this year.

The 19-year-old, of Hazelbank Gardens, had struck Aldridge senior with the plank of wood.

Robertson also admitted a charge of breach of the peace by struggling with Terence Aldridge junior at Hazelbank Gardens on the same date by running towards him while brandishing the piece of wood. The offences had occurred while Robertson was on bail on another matter.

His not guilty pleas to two charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at Hazelbank Gardens, having an offensive weapon (a piece of wood) at Hazelbank Gardens, and possessing cannabis there were all accepted by the Crown.

Co-accused James Brannan – also of Hazelbank Gardens – had made threats of violence at the Raploch Community Campus on September 5 and had shouted, swore and acted in an aggressive manner there.

The threats were directed towards James Paterson. Brannan had presented a fist at Mr Paterson and told him he was going to assault him.

The threatening and abusive behaviour charge had originally stated that Brannan had also behaved aggressively to Bobbie Paterson there, but the 33-year-old’s guilty plea to an amended charge in which mention of Bobbie Paterson was deleted was accepted by the Crown.

Brannan had further admitted a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing and acting in an aggressive manner at Hazelbank Gardens on the same date.

At Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Ross Macfarlane QC deferred sentence on Brannan for 12 months for him to be of good behaviour. He also continued bail with the special condition that he does not contact the complainer James Patterson.

Sheriff Macfarlane sentenced Robertson to a community payback order which required him to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work within 12 months as an alternative to custody.

Robertson was also placed on supervision for 18 months.