A drunk who threatened to murder two teenage boys before pushing one of them on to a railway track – just minutes before a train was due – was jailed for six months yesterday.
James Wynn, 35, carried out the attack at the Muir of Ord train station in the Highlands last month, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said the 14-year-old boys were sitting on a bench at the station when Wynn reacted to them shouting at him.
He responded by swearing back at them, saying he would “murder” them.
The fiscal added: “The teenagers were scared by this and one ran off only to be chased by Mr Wynn. Then the other boy was pushed on the body off the platform and on to the tracks.
“Fortunately no trains were in or out of the station at the time but a train was due 20 minutes later.
“The boy suffered a mild concussion and a slight cut to the back of his head. Police were called and Wynn was quickly traced.”
Wynn, of Vulcan Cottage, Muir of Ord, originally appeared from custody and admitted threatening behaviour and assault to injury at the train station on January 25.
Sentence was deferred until yesterday for a background report as he had just recently been placed on a community payback order after successfully completing a drug treatment and testing order to wean him off his addiction.
Defence solicitor Neil Wilson said his client “fully accepted culpability at the first opportunity”, sparing the boys the need to come to court to give evidence, but accepted a custodial sentence was likely.
Mr Wilson added: “He no longer has a problem with illicit drugs and although he says he is not an alcoholic, he has a problem with alcohol. He was intoxicated at the time and the boys were laughing at him.
“But when he is sober, he is courteous, pleasant and easy to deal with.”
Jailing Wynn, Sheriff Margaret Neilson told him: “Given your record and the nature of these charges, which I deem as serious as they involve children, only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
She backdated the sentence to January 27.