Serial offender from Grangemouth jailed after attack on autistic man

A bystander called police when William McPhee (30) began battering the man in a street just moments after a “shouting match” had broken out between the pair.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, McPhee, 214 Kersiebank Avenue, Grangemouth, had pled guilty to assaulting his victim by repeatedly punching him to the head and body to his injury in Kersiebank Avenue on December 3 last year.

The court heard the war of words originally started when a woman who was with McPhee directed a comment towards the man.

Despite a passer-by informing McPhee that the man had “learning difficulties”, he refused to back down and violence soon flared.

Procurator fiscal depute Kristina Kelly said: “The complainer and the accused began to push each other to the chest area.

“The complainer kicked the accused’s shopping bag which was on the ground. The accused flung himself at the complainer and there was punching to the chest area.

“He fell to the ground, with the accused landing on top of him.

“The complainer was screaming and witnesses observed the complainer being punched on the face while on the ground. The complainer bit the accused to try to get him off him.

“Police were contacted by a witness and an untraced female pulled the accused off him. The accused left the area immediately.”

Defence solicitor Lynn Swann told Sheriff Derek Livingston her client accepted he should’ve walked away. The court also heard McPhee has mental health difficulties and had been on anti-depressants but stopped taking them as he felt they were making “no difference”.

Addressing McPhee, Sheriff Livingston said: “I make it to be your eighth conviction for assault. You don’t seem to take a lesson from that.”

McPhee was imprisoned for four months.