Accused walks free after knocking out footballer

Case against Robert Chambers found not proven by jury

A man who knocked a young footballer unconscious in an attack in Dundee has walked free.

Robert Chambers was acquitted of assault to severe injury after the jury at Dundee Sheriff Court found the case not proven by majority verdict.

John Black, a promising football player who had been signed for Dundee FC, had to have part of his skull removed and was in an induced coma for 10 days after an altercation between two groups of young men on Old Hawkhill.

Mr Black’s mother, June, spoke of her upset after the judgment, saying she hoped “it was the last tragedy her family had to face”.

Her elder soldier son Aaron took his own life in 2011 after returning from war in Afghanistan.

She said: “I just cannot understand how those 15 adults could listen to the evidence presented to the court over the past three days and come to the conclusion of not proven.

“I think I would have preferred a not guilty verdict.

“They disregarded all of the evidence given by the crown, not one person saw John push Chambers, the only person who said there was a push was him.

“While he went off to try to get something to eat, John was blue-lighted to Ninewells Hospital, where surgeons told me there was a good chance he would die or wake up severely brain damaged.

“It shows just how dangerous one punch can be.”

During evidence, the court was told Chambers had gone to Clark’s 24-hour bakery after punching Mr Black.

The jury took just over an hour to reach their verdict.

Chambers had submitted a special defence of self-defence, claiming he felt threatened enough by Mr Black to excuse his actions.

The unemployed welder threw a single punch, causing Mr Black to fall to the ground and crack his skull.

Mr Black told the court his dreams of becoming a professional footballer were destroyed by the incident, with doctors telling him even heading a ball could now prove to be fatal.

Chambers admitted to police in an interview hours after the incident he had punched Mr Black as a “reaction”.

John Black, left, says his dreams of becoming a footballer were destroyed in the attack by Robert Chambers.