Bantaskine man booted '˜pal' in the face and knocked him out

Appearing from custody at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Luke Kelly (22) had pled guilty to the assaults he committed at a premises in David’s Loan, Langlees on August 28 and in Tryst Road, Stenhousemuir on November 18.

Susan Campbell, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The complainer in this case has been a close friend of the accused for 13 years. On the evening on August 27 they were at a woman’s address and the three were having a drink together.

“All three fell asleep on the living room floor. On the morning of August 28 the accused lunged towards his friend and punched him four or five times, causing his lip to bleed.

“The woman was unable to remove the accused from the witness so she called the police, but the accused left before they arrived.”

A few weeks later Kelly, his friend and the same woman were back drinking together again at another premises.

“During the evening an argument broke out between the accused and the woman,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “Then the accused’s male friend was asked to leave the property, which he did.

“As the man reached the bottom of the outside staircase he felt a blow to the back of his head and believed he had been struck by some unknown item, causing him to fall to the ground.

“He saw the accused standing over him, shouting and swearing at him. The accused then kicked the man in the face, knocking him out. The man contacted the police when he came round.”

The victim was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital and received treatment for a cut to his nose, a burst mouth and a large lump to the left hand side if his forehead. He was also complaining about soreness to the back of his head.”

Defence solicitor Andy Bryson said: “He asked his friend to leave and then he was given some more information by the woman about what had happened. That’s when he lost his temper. When he is drunk things bubble up and hostility can come to the surface, when it is normally battened down when he is sober.”

Mr Bryson said Kelly was not enjoying his stint on remand and had been assaulted twice while in custody.

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “There is no alternative but custody. You hit a man from behind and then, when he was on the ground, you kicked him in the face rendering him unconscious.”

Kelly, 35 Gilchrist Drive, Bantaskin, was sentenced to eight months in prison back dated to November 19.