A rugby player who starred for Selkirk Youth Club has been told by a sheriff that his brutal attack at a pub could easily have killed his victim.
Jordan Lunt, 18, admitted repeatedly punching, kicking and stamping on the head and body of David Lewis at Angus O’Malley’s pub and in The Valley on March 19.
Lunt, of Sentry Knowe, – who was watching rugby on TV – lashed out after he claimed Mr Lewis, who he did not know, tried to cuddle him.
Sheriff Kevin Drummond watched CCTV footage of the attack and on Monday he told Lunt: “Perhaps the most surprising thing arising from that for you and your victim is the relatively-low level of injury which has resulted. We have seen in more than one case an assault like that causes death or permanent impairment with that kind of kicking that went on. You are in one sense a very fortunate young man. I can treat this as a non-custodial matter, although you will bear in mind your over-indulgence in alcohol.”
The sheriff told Lunt, who was given a community payback order involving 216 hours’ unpaid work, that in particular it was the stamping that could kill.
Lunt’s lawyer Robert More conceded: “It was a very, very, bad incident.”
A not -guilty plea to kicking a woman on the head was accepted by the Crown.