A teenage attacker who continued to punch his 15-year-old victim even after he’d fallen to the ground has been told he’s lucky not to be facing more serious charges in court.
Morgan Main, 18, was with a group of youths when he attacked the boy on Carmelite Street near Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen.
Security camera operators witnessed the attack and alerted police and ambulance, who took the boy to hospital, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough said the CCTV operators were monitoring groups of youngsters at around 4.55pm on April 4 last year when, mid-way through crossing the road, Main turned to his left and punched the boy to the head causing him to fall to the ground.
“Whilst he was on the ground he continued to punch him to the body,” the fiscal said. “Police were in the area and asked to intervene.”
Boy taken to hospital
Main’s victim was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to get a 1cm laceration to his nose sealed shut.
Main pled guilty to one charge of assault to injury. His not-guilty plea to another assault charge, at Union Square just one week prior, was accepted.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said there had been a verbal exchange before his client, who was 17 at the time, acted out.
“Social work reports show he is a young man who has had a troubled family background and that came to a head with the sudden passing of his stepfather last year,” the solicitor said.
“That had an effect on him and his behaviour deteriorated.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge told the teenager: “You presumably realise that if you assault someone and they end up on the road they could hit their head and end up with serious injuries or worse.
“You are lucky you are not here on a more serious charge.”
She handed Main, of Seaview Road, Bridge of Don, 70 hours of unpaid work and a six-month supervision order.
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