Caravan threat leads to attack at Redding travellers' site

Thomas Donaldson (22) punched the man to the head causing cuts and bruises after a shouting match got out of hand at the travellers’ site where he was staying.

There had been a history between Donaldson and the victim and, shortly before the attack, the man was said to have been revving his camper van up right outside Donaldson’s caravan.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, Donaldson had pleaded guilty to the assault he committed at Redding Travellers’ Site, Redding Industrial Estate, Redding on December 31, 2019.

Procurator fiscal depute Heather Galbraith said: “The two witnesses were planning to visit family in Ayrshire and were at their camper van trying to get it started when the accused appeared next to the van.

"There was then some shouting and the female witness attempted to calm the situation down. The accused then began punching the male witness to the head. Police were contacted, but the accused was not there when they attended.

“However, he did hand himself in a couple of days later.”

The court heard the victim suffered a half-centimetre laceration to his head, a burst nose and some bruising and swelling to his ear.

Donaldson, who has two children and lives with his mother and his partner, had no previous convictions.

It was stated there had been a history between the parties and the 33-year-old victim had been in his van, revving it up outside Donaldson’s pitch. He then supposedly told Donaldson the van was going to be driven into his caravan.

Donaldson was then said to have taken “matters into his own hands”.

Never having been in trouble like this before, Donaldson was supposedly suffering from a “great deal of stress”

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “You are a first offender, but this sounded like quite a bad assault judging by the damage caused to the man.”

He placed Donaldson, Pitch 9, Redding Caravan Park, Redding, on a community payback order with the condition he complete 170 hours unpaid work within 12 months.