Teen fined for punching taxi driver

Sep 8 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A TEENAGER who punched a taxi driver and damaged his car has been ordered to pay him compensation.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard Liam McBurnie, 16, punched the driver on the head to his injury at Houston Road in Livingston on November 26 last year.

McBurnie then repeatedly kicked the taxi causing damage to it.

The court heard the 16-year-old had his sentence deferred for those offences on March 4 to see if he could be of good behaviour.

But the very next day McBurnie was involved in another assault, this time punching his former friend to the head several times causing him to fall to the ground.

“The complainer was on the ground, not able to protect himself, and the accused raced up and kicked him with force on the head area,” fiscal depute Graham Jessop added.

“The complainer was dazed and bleeding heavily from a cut above his right eye.

“He was taken to St John’s Hospital but discharged himself before he got any treatment.

“He had a cut and swelling to his right eye and swelling above his left eye and bruising around his nose.”

McBurnie, whose address was given as Carledubs Avenue, Uphall, pled guilty to the offences when he appeared at the court last week.

The court also heard the teenager breached his bail curfew on July 2 this year when he was out of his house when police called at his address at 8.15pm.

His solicitor, Kevin Dugan, told the court his client had tendered pleas of guilty at an early stage.

“In respect of the assault case, clearly it is a serious matter,” Mr Dugan said.

“They were once close friends but that friendship has obviously been broken by these actions of Mr McBurnie.

“He has expressed remorse on several occasions.

“He got a job six weeks ago and has not missed a day and is now attending drug and alcohol counselling.”

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch ordered McBurnie to pay the taxi driver £100 in compensation for the damage caused to his vehicle and fined him £160 for punching him.

Also placing the 16-year-old on probation for breaching his bail Sheriff Kinloch added: “First of all it is a shame to see a young person who already has been using drugs for quite a while and has been spending a lot of money getting yourself drunk senseless, all of which is a recipe for disaster.

“It is also clear that, so far, being in court has meant nothing to you as the day after you appeared in front of me you got yourself involved in another assault and later on you just ignored a court order.

“If this type of thing goes on there is no doubt where you will end up and that is in prison.

“I hope it is true that you have got yourself a job and are trying to get some help for using illegal drugs and drink.

“Maybe appearing in court this time will bring you to your senses; I don’t know but I hope so.”

Sheriff Kinloch deferred sentence for the March assault for four months to see if McBurnie could be of good behaviour.

“This is really a very serious matter as an awful lot of damage can be done by kicking someone on the head when they are on the ground,” the sheriff added.

“You were lucky and so was he that there was no serious injury. Only because of that I am going to defer sentence for four months for you to be of good behaviour.”