Angus claw hammer attack man sent to prison for six months

COURT: Innocent householder was injured in argument over old debts

An Arbroath man who attacked an innocent third party with a claw hammer in a row over an unpaid debt has been jailed for six months.

Stephen Cochrane went to the door of a house in St Thomas Crescent late one night last month to try to track down a man who was due him cash from years ago.

However, he no longer lived there and it was the innocent householder who was caught up in a potentially dangerous assault as he tried to get the 27-year-old off his property.

Cochrane, of Hepburn Crescent, Arbroath, pled guilty to assaulting the man on April 9 by repeatedly brandishing a hammer and striking him on the body with it.

Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan told Forfar Sheriff Court the couple in the property heard a knock at the door around midnight and the female householder found the accused and a friend there, asking if the third party who owed Cochrane money still resided there.

“The man of the house stepped in and told them to leave, but the accused became angry and aggressive, starting to make threats,” said the fiscal.

The court heard Cochrane then produced an orange-handled claw hammer from inside his jacket and told the man: “I’m gonna ******* kill you with this.”

Cochrane began swinging the weapon and “clipped” his victim on the elbow, the court was told.

“The complainer walked them down the path, forced them out of the gate and called police,” added Mr Duncan.

When he was arrested, Cochrane told officers: “I have an alibi. It could not be me at that address.”

Defence solicitor Angela Mclardy said her client had been making good progress on a recently imposed community payback order and was also making positive strides in his personal life.

“He is due to finish a college course in the next several weeks and has applied for a further three courses,” said the solicitor.

“In the last 12 months he has managed to make some significant changes to his lifestyle and I would hope he can be given a final opportunity to continue the order he is on.

“He is more than ready to prove himself, he tells me,” the lawyer added.

Jailing Cochrane, Sheriff Gregor Murray told the accused: “I have said to you before that somewhere in you is a nice, sensible, law-abiding person.

“You have a dreadful record. You are also extraordinarily lucky that more serious injuries were not caused.”

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You have a dreadful record. You are also... lucky that more serious injuries were not caused. SHERIFF GREGOR MURRAY