Serial crook locked up for bottle attack on man in row over cash

A serial offender knocked a man unconscious after hitting him over the head with a beer bottle in a dispute over money.

Barry Rankine, already in prison for a shoplifting spree, was given an extra year in jail for the brutal assault in a Dunfermline lane.

Rankine, 30, a prisoner at Low Moss, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and admitted that on April 1 at Inglis Lane, he assaulted Kevin Malcolm by striking him on the head with a glass bottle, causing him to fall to the ground, repeatedly punched him on the head when he was on the ground and rendered him unconscious.

Depute fiscal Alex Kirk told the court that at 6pm Mr Malcolm was with others and went to buy alcohol.

As he walked back to his friend’s house, he became aware of the accused running towards him, swinging his arm.

“He felt a sudden pain in his forehead as he was struck with a green beer bottle,” the depute added.

“He was then repeatedly punched on the head and lost consciousness.”

Rankine ran away and Mr Malcolm was left covered in blood. Rankine was stopped by police in Pilmuir Street at around 10pm.

The victim was taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw but tests showed there was no fracture.

However, he sustained significant eye swelling and had a lump on his head.

Solicitor Roshni Joshi said his client had been in a dispute about money with the complainer, adding: “He has long-standing difficulty with drugs misuse.

“He has a record of crimes of dishonesty but no previous convictions for violence. He accepts that it’s only through good fortune that the injuries were not more significant.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “This was a sustained assault involving a weapon, namely a glass bottle, and the injuries could have been far more severe.”

He jailed Rankine for 12 months to run consecutively to his current prison sentence.

On April 24, Rankine was jailed for consecutive terms of 10 months and 135 days for a catalogue of shoplifting offences.