A serial offender who injured a man as he punched and kicked him in a racist assault has been given a four-month custodial sentence.
David Melvin (19), of Spitalfield Place in Arbroath, encouraged others to join in as he launched his attack on the man, who was of Asian origin.
Melvin admitted that on December 28, 2010, in Barngreen, Arbroath, he committed a racially-aggravated assault.
Arbroath Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday that Melvin, who was extremely drunk at the time of the offence, had stopped his victim and asked him for money and he had refused.
Melvin then attacked the man, punching him on the head and kicking him on the body, and made remarks to passers-by about his ethnic origin as he tried to persuade them to also turn on the victim.
The accused only ran off when the police were called by disturbed witnesses. The complainer, who was making his way home from work when he was targeted, was then taken to Arbroath Infirmary.
Fiscal depute Arlene Shaw confirmed that the attacker was not known to his victim.
Defence agent Nick Markowski said his client was “aware” that he would likely receive a custodial sentence as a result of his actions but added that Melvin had never committed an offence while sober.
He said, “Mr Melvin has very limited recollection of this and there have never previously been any undertones of racial difficulties.”
Mr Markowski added that in the past year Melvin had spent more time in young offenders institutions than he had at liberty.
He said, “There is a concern that he is more comfortable in some kind of institution than he would be living independently.”
Mr Markowski also told the court that Melvin had endured a “difficult upbringing” and the “one constant in his life” was his mother, who passed away earlier this year.
Sheriff Derek Pyle said that Melvin would have faced a longer sentence had he not pled guilty to the crime.