Fife man jailed for brutal street assault on schoolboy (13)

A Dunfermline man, who viciously assaulted a terrified schoolboy in an unprovoked, drunken attack, has been jailed for 34 months.

The 13-year-old boy required hospital treatment after being targeted by drunken thug Josh King, as he walked home from a friend’s house.

The victim was kicked and punched by King, who knocked him to the ground and only stopped when a woman heard the boy’s screams and went to his aid.

King (21), a prisoner at Perth, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court today.

He previously admitted that on 7th June at Gordon Terrace, Dunfermline, he assaulted the boy by seizing him by the throat, throwing him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him on the head to his injury.

Depute fiscal Claire Bremner told the court, “The complainer was 13-years-old at the time and was walking home from his girlfriend’s house in Abbeyview. He went through the Rex Park and was walking in Gordon Terrace at around 8pm.

“He became aware of the accused who was leaning against a vehicle speaking to someone inside.

“He had no top on and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol as he was unsteady on his feet.”

The boy continued to walk along the street towards his home when King crossed the road.

“He walked towards him and without any provocation attacked him. He grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the ground,” said the depute.

“The complainer was extremely alarmed and began to scream, ‘Please stop, please stop’,” the depute continued.

A woman working in her office nearby heard the shouts and screams and looked out into the street.

“She saw the complainer being thrown to the ground and curling up into a ball. He was shouting ‘stop’ repeatedly as he was being kicked at least three times to the face.

“She was concerned for his safety and ran outside to try to offer assistance. The accused fled when he saw her running towards him.”

When the woman went over to the victim she saw he was “covered in blood, with a significant amount of bleeding from his face and mouth and he appeared to be in shock,” said Ms Bremner.

“The woman was able to establish that the boy lived nearby and she took him home where his mother was told what had occurred and contacted the police.”

The victim was initially unable to tell the officers much because of his injuries and he was taken to the Victoria Hospital.

He required stitches to a face wound, had a severely swollen nose and one of his front teeth had been dislodged.

The victim later showed the police King’s Facebook profile and identified him as the assailant as did the woman who went to the boy’s help.

Photographs of the victim’s injuries were shown to Sheriff Charles MacNair.

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said his client had admitted his guilt from the outset but “doesn’t remember the incident at all.”

He added, “The photographs of the injuries are graphic and Mr King was horrified when he saw them. He’s horrified by what he did and is extremely remorseful.”

Sheriff MacNair said, “This was a vicious and sustained attack. It was wholly unprovoked.”

He pointed out King had several previous convictions for assault.

He jailed King for 28 months for attacking the boy and a further 184 days for breaching community payback orders.

King will also be subject to a supervised released order for a year when he comes out of jail.