A thug who left his victim brain damaged with just one punch has been spared jail.
Curtis Kane punched Craig Johnston during a struggle on Aberdeen’s Crown Street, hitting him so hard his head hit the pavement.
He was raced to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with a bleed to the brain. He also had a fractured skull, part of which was later removed. Mr Johnston spent several months recovering in hospital, but will never recover fully or be able to live independently.
Last month, Kane was warned he faced jail after being convicted of assaulting Johnston to his severe injury, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life after a trial in Aberdeen.
But although judge John Morris QC yesterday branded his behaviour “disgusting” when he appeared at the High Court in Paisley for sentencing, he decided not to jail the 21-year-old.
During the trial, the jury heard the incident started after Kane told Mr Johnston and his friend to leave a woman alone to whom they have been talking. The court was also told Mr Johnston then ran towards Kane’s car.
Kane, a cleaner, insisted he had lashed out in self-defence.
Judge Morris told him yesterday: “I think your behaviour was disgraceful – I don’t know what you were thinking of.
“I am a bit worried about your temperament – that you react to such trivial matters in such a way.
“But you’ll be relieved to know, with some considerable hesitation, I’ve decided not to send you to prison.
“You are a very young man who is fortunate to have some very good friends and support from caring family members.
“To send you to prison, with all the circumstances I’ve just narrated, would be derisory and wouldn’t do any good.”
He ordered Kane, of Printfield Terrace, Aberdeen, to do 300 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order. He also put him on a three-year supervision order.
And he warned Kane, who has a previous conviction for assault to severe injury, against any further incidents.
He said: “I hope this is a wake up call.
“You obviously know you have a punch in your hands but it just doesn’t work.
“You’re just going to ruin your life if you do it again.”
