Dad jailed for attack on drug user in home

A drug user was attacked and robbed as he tried to “shoot up” in the house of an Inverness man.

John Byrne was repeatedly struck on his head by 34-year-old Robert Stewart in Kilmuir Road on August 4 last year and robbed of £300.

But Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Byrne was a well-known drug addict with a record for dishonesty, drugs and violence.

Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood was also told that Byrne admitted to police that the cash was his “ill-gotten gains”.

Stewart admitted assaulting Byrne to his injury and robbing him. He was jailed for 15 months, backdated to June 7. Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Byrne had visited Stewart’s home and had gone to the toilet to take drugs.

“Stewart struck several times on the him face, took his wallet containing £300, removed the cash and threw the wallet at him.”

Defence solicitor Willie Young said his client was annoyed that Byrne, who he said had 10 pages of previous convictions, had made no attempt to disguise the fact that he was going to the toilet to shoot up.

“My client was looking after his children at the time and he was annoyed by this brazen act.

“When Byrne was interviewed, he made it clear he did not wish the matter to go further.”

“My client was looking after his children at the time”