Chad Neighbor examines a Penny Black at the Montrose stamp, postcard and coin fair at the weekend. Picture: Kris Miller.

Man had no recollection of assaulting youngster who wanted to help

An Angus man hit a 15-year-old boy in the neck with a piece of downpipe when he launched it like a javelin at the Good Samaritan teen, a court heard.

Inebriated Kevin Harrison ended up in the youngster’s back garden trying to make his way home in Montrose from a works golf outing last July.

However, the 36-year-old, of North Street, Montrose, was heading in completely the wrong direction from his own house and his only recollection of the “bizarre” offence was leaving the pub and waking up in a police cell hours later.

At Forfar Sheriff Court, Harrison admitted behaving in a threatening manner on July 20 last year, repeatedly headbutting a garage door, assaulting a 15-year-old boy by striking him with a piece of downpipe thrown like a javelin and resisting arrest.

He placed Harrison on a year-long community payback order, with supervision and 225 hours’ unpaid work.

In addition, he must also pay the 15-year-old victim £400 compensation and will be electronically tagged to his home on a 7pm to 7am curfew for 110 days.

Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said the offence happened at around 9pm when the boy and others heard a commotion and saw the accused headbutting the garage. The fiscal said: “They went out and asked what he was doing and the accused stated ‘I’m going to kill you, get out, where are you, I’m hard’.”

Harrison then hit the boy on the head with the piece of downpipe, before launching it at him, cutting the youngster’s neck.

The boy’s sister called police, who could get little sense out of Harrison.

He was arrested and handcuffed, but then struggled with officers and had to be lifted into the police van, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said: “He has no idea why he was angry at the garage and his only recollection is leaving the bar and then waking up in police custody.”

Sheriff Derek Reekie told Harrison: “This, I’m bound to say, sounds like quite a bizarre incident and it is of considerable concern you have absolutely no recollection of what happened.

“However, I am sure the people on the receiving end of your behaviour, particularly the 15-year-old, will have a very clear recollection and would have been considerably alarmed.

“The boy tried to come to your assistance and for you to react in that way you should be utterly ashamed of yourself.”

gbrown@thecourier.co.uk.