Brutal attack on epilepsy sufferer filmed

Sheriff’s custody warning after attack

CCTV captured a man carrying out a brutal and sustained attack on a fellow customer in a shop in Harthill.

Raging Robert Brown was seen to kick and stamp on the head of Craig Costello who has Asperger’s Syndrome and epilepsy.

Fortunately, Mr Costello’s injuries were relatively minor, but he was put under observation in hospital as his heart rate was found to be “extremely high” as a result of the attack.

Thirty-year-old Brown of Bertram Street, Harthill, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday. He admitted assaulting Mr Costello at Day to Day Express in Edinburgh Road on April 7 last year.

An allegation that he shoved the same man over railings into a burn near the M8 in Harthill later that day was dropped.

Michael McIntosh, prosecuting, described the victim as “somewhat vulnerable”. He was waiting to pay for items in the shop when Brown approached. There had been an alleged incident involving Mr Costello and one of Brown’s relatives and Brown warned him to stay away from his family.

Brown then punched Mr Costello who hit back but was to come off worse as the violence escalated.

Mr McIntosh played the CCTV footage in court. It showed Mr Costello being knocked to the floor and Brown kicking and stamping on him as he lay helpless.

The fiscal added: “The accused then appeared to have a change of heart and is seen to assist the victim.

“The police were called and found traces of blood on the door of the shop. Mr Costello was taken to Wishaw General Hospital but, perhaps surprisingly given what’s visible on the CCTV, his injuries were relatively minor. He had swelling and bruising to his face, a cut to his upper lip and abrasions to his body.”

Quizzed by police, Brown told officers: “It was an argument that got out of hand.”

Defence agent John Costello said Brown should have reported the incident involving his family member and Mr Costello to the police instead of taking the law into his own hands.

He added: “They met that day by accident. There was no design or planning behind this.”

Sheriff Ray Small noted that Brown has four previous convictions for assault and was on a community payback order when this attack happened.

The sheriff told him: “What I have just seen on the video is shocking,

“Assault by kicking and stamping on someone on the ground usually leads to custody. That could happen to you, but I’ll keep an open mind until I’ve seen background reports”

Sentence was deferred until February 7 and Brown had his bail continued.