Youth’s knuckle duster attack on bus depot workers
Workers at a Dunfermline bus depot were violently attacked by two drunks.
One of the thugs, aged 17, was wearing a knuckle duster during the vicious assaults and is now beginning a sentence behind bars.
The shocking incident occurred on 28th October at the Stagecoach East Scotland depot in St Leonards Street.
The two intruders were spotted by a cleaner and became aggressive when they were asked to leave. This continued when police officers arrived.
In the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court were 20-year-old Danny Smith and the 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Smith, of Segal Place, Dunfermline admitted while acting together with his co-accused he assaulted a worker by pushing him on the body and punching him on the head.
He also admitted he assaulted female police officer by repeatedly attempting to punch her on the head and body, struggling violently and spitting at her.
Smith further admitted that he assaulted a special police constable by repeatedly attempting to punch him on the head, struggled violently with him and spat at him.
Smith also admitted a separate offence of stealing alcohol at Tesco, Winterthur Lane, on 17th January.
The 17-year-old youth, from Dunfermline, admitted that while acting with Smith, he assaulted the worker by pushing him on the body, punching him on the head, spitting at him, uttered an offensive remark, repeatedly attempted to punch him on the head and body and punched him on the head whilst wearing a knuckle duster.
He also admitted he assaulted another man by repeatedly attempting to punch him on the head and punched him on the head whilst wearing a knuckle duster to his injury.
He further admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon, a knuckle duster.
Depute fiscal Louise Graham said, “At 8.45pm one of the cleaners noticed both the accused in the yard and asked if they required assistance. It appeared they were intoxicated.”
The cleaner informed a Stagecoach employee, who walked with the pair to the exit in an attempt to get them to leave.
However, the depot worker was then attacked and this was seen by a colleague, who was also then hit by the youth with knuckle duster, who caught him in the face.
The police were called and when detained Smith began struggling violently.
Selina Mackay, solicitor for unemployed Smith, said, “He had been drinking throughout the day. He then went with the co-accused to a supermarket to buy more alcohol and can’t remember anything after that.
“He’s remorseful and says it the worst thing he’s ever done.”
Sarah Meehan, solicitor for the youth, said he had put on a community payback order at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court only last week.
She told the court her client also had little recollection of events because of excessive consumption of alcohol.
Sheriff Craig McSherry sentenced the youth to 10 months’ detention.
He imposed a community payback order on Smith with 240 hours of unpaid work. Sentence was deferred on the shoplifting offence until 8th August.
