BIBLE BASHER: NEIGHBOUR LEFT BLOODY AND BRUISED IN BROLLY ATTACK

A 48-year-old Fife man left a bible study class then launched a vicious assault on a neighbour, hitting him over the head with an umbrella.

The victim suffered a cut to his eyebrow and a swollen cheek after being attacked by Kenneth Taylor, who ran up behind him and whacked him over the head with the brolly.

Taylor claimed the man was drunk and had tried to grab his genitals.

Taylor, of Mellor Court, Rosyth, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on 27th October at Kings Place, Rosyth, he assaulted a man by striking him on the head with an umbrella to his injury.

Depute fiscal Brogan Moffat told the court that the victim lives in the same street as Taylor.

At 6.15pm the man was walking home and was on his phone having a face-time call with a female friend.

He then heard someone running behind him and turned to see the Taylor coming towards him holding an umbrella.

Taylor struck him over the head and the assault was witnessed by the woman on the phone.

The victim sustained a cut to his eyebrow and swelling to his cheek.

Police were contacted and when arrested, Taylor said, “I didn’t do that.”

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison wanted to clarify Taylor’s comment to the author of his social work report that it had been “an accident”.

“That’s not what happened,” confirmed Mr Morrison.

He said his client knows the victim and the female who was on the phone. They previously all got on but more recently there have been “difficulties” between them.

He went on, “He has lived in the street for 20 years and on this night, he was walking home from a bible study class. He was sober and hasn’t had a drink for over a year.

“He says the complainer has an issue with alcohol misuse and was heavily under the influence.

“He says the complainer made a grab towards his genital area. He wasn’t actually grabbed but it was a motion towards him.

“He reacted to that by striking him with the brolly.”

The solicitor added that his client, who works in retail, was “keen not to come back to court.”

Sheriff Susan Duff imposed a community payback order with 135 hours of unpaid work.