A man who punched an alleged sex offender ended up blinding him in one eye, Dundee Sheriff Court was told yesterday.
Father-of-five David Fletcher launched the attack on Ross Ottaway just days after he was accused of showing hardcore porn to young children he had been babysitting.
The court was told the “extremely unusual” injury had been caused after Ottaway was punched twice in the head by Fletcher when he tried to buy juice from a shop that Fletcher was working in.
Ottaway, who worked as a bouncer, was arrested and charged by police on April 16 last year and is due to stand trial next month.
However, after he walked into a shop where Fletcher was working five days later the shop assistant, who had heard of the allegations, ordered Ottaway to get out of the shop.
Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the court Ottaway then walked towards a drinks fridge and Fletcher went out and pushed him towards the door of the shop.
When Ottaway protested, Fletcher punched him twice in the face.
Ottaway was left with horrific injuries which has resulted in him being left blinded in his right eye.
Fletcher, 39, of Scrimgeour Place in Dundee, admitted that on April 23 2013, at Lifestyle Grocers, he assaulted Ottaway by repeatedly punching him on the head to his severe injury and permanent impairment.
Ms Robertson told the court that Ottaway had been left completely blind in that eye following the attack.
She said: “The accused shouted ‘you better get out of here’ when the complainer entered the shop.
“The complainer said ‘I’m just here to get juice’.
“The accused then went towards the complainer and pushed him towards the door of the shop.”
She said as he exited the complainer remonstrated with Fletcher.
“The accused then punched him twice, causing instant bleeding.
“He felt immediate impairment to the eye and called police and friends as he left.”
She said: “He lost the vision in his right eye and there was swelling around the eye.
“A specialist registrar said his right globe was ruptured with a complete haemorrhage inside the eye and loss of some of the contents of the eye.
“There was also a linear laceration on the surface layer of the eye.”
Ottaway was admitted for emergency surgery at Ninewells Hospital.
“The injury was described as extremely unusual,” the fiscal said.
“A repair to the surface of the eye was carried out and some of its contents were found on the surface.
“He has no perception of light in his right eye and has effectively been left blind in that eye.”
The plea was accepted on the basis that Fletcher was under provocation at the time of the attack.
Solicitor Andy Lyall, defending, said: “This is very much an unusual injury.”
Sheriff Tom Hughes deferred sentence for social work background reports until July 1.
Fletcher was released on bail ahead of sentencing.