Court in Moray: Teenager broke stranger's hip in unprovoked attack
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A teenager who broke the hip of a complete stranger in an unprovoked attack on Elgin's Plainstones has been ordered to pay his victim £1000.
Jordan Carnegie, who's aged 18, was said to have been drunkenly trying to impress two girls he was with that evening.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that the attack took place in the town centre at about 8pm on Friday, September 2
The victim and a work colleague had just eaten a meal in a nearby pub and were walking past St Giles Church.
Procurator Fiscal Victoria Silver said: "The accused lunged towards them in a threatening manner.
"The witness put out his arms to protect himself.
"The accused pulled him to the ground then grabbed his head and hit it off the concrete paving stones."
Several passers-by and the work colleague intervened, at which point Carnegie got to his feet and walked off with the two girls.
The victim tried getting up but his leg buckled beneath him.
An ambulance was called to take him to Dr Gray's Hospital where tests showed his hip had been both dislocated and fractured.
He was later taken to Aberdeen to undergo surgery.
Carnegie, of Den Crescent, Keith, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to severe injury.
The court heard that he had travelled over to Elgin from his hometown on the day of the attack, having got into an argument and being left afraid for his own safety.
The teenager's solicitor Matthew O'Neill began his plea for mitigation by admitting the offence was an "extremely serious matter".
However, he added that his client had endured a difficult childhood which had left a lasting impact.
Mr O'Neill said: "He's a young man who made an extremely foolish decision."
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood questioned why the legal decision had been taken to prosecute the case as a summary rather than a solemn matter, where the powers of sentencing would have been greater.
He said: "An unprovoked attack upon a complete stranger in a public place – that's what it comes to. No reason. No excuse. He just chose someone at complete random and broke his hip."
Talking directly to Carnegie, the sheriff continued: "You are extremely lucky that this is being dealt with as a summary case. Sometimes crown office decisions defeat me."
Due to the defendant's age and lack of a record, the guidelines pointed to there being an alternative to custody.
Rather than being sent to a young offenders' institution, the teenager was ordered instead to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community within the next eight months.
He was also ordered to pay his victim £1000 in compensation and placed under the court's supervision for the next two years.
