An Aberdeen teenager who brutally assaulted a disabled boy in a row over playground rumours has been ordered to pay his victim £2,000 in compensation.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, must also shell out a further £1,500 by means of punishment from Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The boy left his 15-year-old victim, who has cerebral palsy, unconscious and with three facial fractures after he repeatedly punched him as he lay on the ground.
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird said the unprovoked assault happened near a row of garages in Aberdeen at 3pm on February 25 last year.
Rained down blows as boy lay on ground
The victim had arranged to meet acquaintances there but instead was met first by his attacker, who was also 15 at the time.
“Before he had the chance to leave the accused punched him one to the face causing him to fall back,” Miss Laird said.
“He then punched him again to the face causing him to fall to the ground.”
When the victim’s friends arrived they saw him lying on the ground trying to shield his face with his hands as his attacker repeatedly punched him.
As he tried to get up, he was again repeatedly punched before friends could intervene.
“The complainer saw a foot coming towards his face and he had no recollection of the incident after that,” the court was told.
The young attacker, who works as a fabricator having now left school, left his victim with two fractures to his eye socket and a suspected fractured cheekbone.
Victim has cerebral palsy
“The complainer was a teenager at the time and he suffers from cerebral palsy so has extremely limited mobility on his left side,” the fiscal added.
“He was known to the accused who was aware of his disability.”
The 16-year-old appeared in the dock and admitted a charge of assault to severe injury.
His defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had wanted to meet the boy to confront him over what he believed were false rumours being spread about him.
“This is a young man who is in all other respects unremarkable,” the solicitor said. “He seemed to be good at school and had a good job as a fabricator.
“He said that at the age of 15 he found himself being ostracised at school due to false rumours. It was his plan to meet up with the complainer then video it and get him to admit the allegations were not true.
“However when the complainer showed up he saw red.
“He regrets his behaviour and considers it to have been out of character.
“The victim here has been left with a very nasty injury, he wishes to distance himself from any further behaviour of this sort.”
Must stump up £3,500
Mr Kelly asked that the boy be referred to the Children’s Panel. But Sheriff Rory Bannerman declined, saying the boy had now “entered the adult world” so would be dealt with as an adult.
He ordered the teenager, of Stoneywood, Aberdeen, to pay his victim £2,000 in compensation and the court a £1,500 fine.
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