A 13-YEAR-OLD Pitlochry boy was attacked by a man four times his age and scarred by a cut throat razor or similar implement over graffiti that had been written on a garden fence, Perth Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

At the trial of John Clark, also from the town, evidence was given which indicated the child, now 14, had not even been responsible for the vandalism.

Clark is also accused of assaulting the boy’s father, and attempting to strike him with a knife.

Clark (52), of Ferry Road, Pitlochry, denies that on July 15 at Ferry Road he assaulted a 13-year-old boy, seized him by the throat, punched him on the head and cut him on the arms and body with a razor or similar sharp implement, threatened him with violence, all to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

He also denies assaulting the boy’s father, pushing him and attempting to strike him with a knife.

Clark further maintains not guilty pleas of having a Stanley knife and a cut throat razor in Ferry Road on that date.

Giving evidence, the boy’s father said that on the evening of July 15 he and his wife were at home when, at around 9pm, Clark’s wife came to the door.

She said some boys had written some graffiti on their fence and that their son was in a group which were in the area.

The man told the court Mrs Clark “was at pains to point out” their son was not responsible but had come to the door because she recognised him as being part of the larger group and wanted to get more information.

After going outside with Mrs Clark and his wife, he identified the boy who had written the graffiti, who rode off on his bike.

The man described Mrs Clark as “somewhat agitated” and he recalled that she said, “if John finds out he’ll be raging.”

The boy was then spoken to by his father and he made it clear he had not written the graffiti.

Shortly after, Clark was seen to come out of his driveway and “head towards us” in a “determined” fashion.

He told the court, “Mr Clark made a beeline straight for my son and made a comment along the lines of ‘I’ve had enough of this.’

“My son responded in words of protest to indicate it wasn’t him. I made words in his defence.

“The tone was much more raised and violent.

“I was pushed aside and told to keep out of it and he barged past my wife and made a lunge to my son.

“This had already escalated way beyond anything we had expected and I jumped at Mr Clark to take him off my son.

“He was reaching for his upper body and neck.

“My son was being attacked and I reacted in an automatic fashion.

“I pulled him over and we both went down on the ground with Mr Clark on top.

“There was a struggle on the ground and my son came over in an effort to get Mr Clark off me. I shouted at him to get back.

“One of the kids shouted ‘there’s a knife’.”

At that point it became clear that the boy was bleeding from his right arm and his mother was assisting him.

The man saw Clark get to his feet and said he was holding a cut throat razor.

He recalled that Mrs Clark shouted, “John, John, what have you done? Look what you’ve done” and then ushered her husband away.

The man contacted the police and the boy was taken to the local hospital, then Perth Royal Infirmary, to be treated for a deep cut which had gone through the muscle.

It took two months for the injury to heal. He also sustained minor cuts to his arms and body.

His wife collected a Stanley knife from the area of the incident.

Both wife and son were said to be in shock and the man said that he felt “disbelief” at what had happened.

Clark’s solicitor put it to the man that all his client did was “act as if he was going to go for” his son and that the man then jumped on Clark’s back.

He suggested there was no razor.

The boy also gave evidence yesterday and told the court Clark had grabbed him by the throat and that when he noticed he was cut he “felt really sick.”

The trial before a jury and Sheriff Robert McCreadie continues.