Battered with hammer and left for dead in Stenhousemuir

The 38-year-old was battered with a hammer, punched, kicked and stamped upon in a “senseless and cowardly” attack and has been left facing “life changing consequences” following the ordeal, which happened in Stenhousemuir on August 4 last year.

His family were told at one point he may not survive.

His attackers, Jake Dornion (21), Stewart Adams (20) and Corey Taylor (18), appeared at the High Court in Glasgow today having pled guilty to assaulting the man to his severe injury, permanent impairment and danger of life.

The court heard the victim often allowed local youths into his house and there was a “confrontation” there on the day in question as he tried to remove people from his home.

A “stand off” then occurred outside, between the victim and a group, which included Dornion, Adams and Taylor.

The man yelled at them to go away, but they remained.

He then returned to his home only to have Dornion kick his front door and smash windows with a hammer.

The man – now armed with a weapon – went back out, but, as he went to grab one youth, Dornion repeatedly smacked him with the hammer sending the man sprawling.

All three attackers then kicked, punched and stamped on the victim’s head and body.

The badly hurt victim was later treated in hospital for a host of conditions including a brain injury and skull fractures and was in intensive care for several weeks, having to be fed through a tube.

He was transferred to another hospital three months after the attack and is now being cared for by his cousin.

Judge Lord Matthews told the court: “His circumstances since then are set out in a victim impact statement, which makes sorry reading.”

The hearing was told Dornion was “in tears” when he realised what he had done.

Derick Nelson, defending, added: “It is clear that his recollection is fairly vague. He has accepted he played a part in what was a very violent and sustained attack. He repeatedly describes feeling sick at what he has done.”

Adams’ lawyer Frances Connor said his client was “remorseful” for what happened, while Kevin McCallum, defending Adams, said the teen had told him the victim “did not deserve what happened to him”.

Sentencing, Lord Matthews called the attack “senseless and cowardly” which had “lasting and life changing consequences”.

Dornion, who had only been freed from prison a week earlier, was jailed for four years and 11 months, while Adams was sentenced to four years and seven months and Taylor was locked up for four years and three months.