A teenager who kicked and punched two people unconscious after they were cheeky to his sister has been told he’s lucky he didn’t kill them.
Joey Jackson, 19, threw his victims to the ground before punching and kicking them in the head until they were knocked out.
Speaking after the assaults, which he admitted under provocation, he said: “They got what they deserved.”
Jaskson appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit two charges of assault to injury in relation to the town centre incident, which took place in the early hours of December 19 2021.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told the court police had been alerted to the disturbance on Academy Street by security staff, who reported an ongoing fight between three males at around 2.15am.
When officers arrived on the scene they found two of them lying in the roadway, while another ran from the scene looking over his shoulder.
CCTV footage of the incident showed how Jackson had thrown one to the ground before turning his attention to the other.
Attacker kicked men in head
He threw the second victim to the ground then punched him repeatedly in the head, before kicking him twice in the head.
“The second kick carried out by the accused resulted in the witness appearing to lose consciousness after hitting his head hard on the roadway,” Mr Weir said.
With one of the pair incapacitated Jackson turned his attention back to the first, who was still on the ground, trying to get back to his feet.
He punched him in the head repeatedly, then knocked him unconscious with a single kick to the head before fleeing on foot.
Jackson was later traced with blood around his own mouth and told officers: “I did hit him – he hit me first and had a go at my sister so I hit him. If you had a sister you would understand.”
‘They got what they deserved’
He was taken to Burnett Road Police Officers and while in the holding cell was heard to say: “I slapped and battered two males that had given my sister cheek and they got what they deserved.”
The court heard that one of the victims was noted to have suffered a bloodied face and the other a bloodied mouth and a cut to the back of his head.
Both refused medical treatment.
Mr Weir confirmed to the court that the Crown accepted Jackson’s submission of pleas of guilt under provocation.
Solicitor Rory Gowans, for Jackson, told the court his client, who was currently actively seeking employment, had not been in trouble since and had no other cases outstanding.
He said: “He accepts this is a very serious matter.”
Sheriff Aitken deferred sentencing to next month for the preparation of reports and warned Jackson, of Kessock Avenue, Inverness, he could be facing a jail term.
He said: “The two individuals may not have covered themselves in glory but there is absolutely no excuse for behaviour of this kind.
He added: “You are very lucky that neither of them are dead. People die by being thrown onto the ground and cracking their heads off pavements. They also die by being kicked in the head.”
