A violent thug has been caged over a savage “law of the jungle” prison revenge attack.
Dean Smart, while acting along with two other men, pounced on his victim during a recreation period at HMP Grampian when prisoners’ cells are opened.
The 30-year-old stamped on the man’s head as all three of them rained punches and kicks down on their victim.
And Tony Burgess, Smart’s solicitor, said his client had been “institutionalised” and that Smart’s victim had earlier assaulted one of the men.
He added that prison was run by the “law of the jungle”.
Depute fiscal Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Smart had been walking with two other men when one of them set upon their victim.
She said: “The accused and the third male joined in and began kicking the complainer on the body and punched him on the head and body.
“The complainer fell to the ground and appeared to curl up in the foetal position. Both the accused and the third male began to repeatedly stamp on the complainer’s head and body.
“At this point a prison officer returned to the corridor area having momentarily left. He saw the assault ongoing, raised the alarm and shouted to stop.”
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Ms Simpson added Smart “delivered no less than 20 punches” to the victim’s head and body. The man was left feeling dizzy and with blurred vision and suffered facial injuries including swelling and bruising.
Smart, of Cummings Park Drive, Aberdeen, pled guilty to assault to injury over the incident, which happened on January 16.
Mr Burgess said: “The plan was for the complainer to be spoken to in terms he would understand that something he had done earlier in the day was not going to be accepted.
“As I understand it, one of the three was assaulted by the complainer earlier in the day and sustained a slash to his right arm.
“It’s sad to say that at 27 years old, despite being the father of an infant daughter, effectively he is institutionalised in a world I think can reasonably be described as run by the law of the jungle.
“Matters are dealt with within that environment in a way which is totally unacceptable in normal society but, rightly or wrongly, are the way things are dealt with in that environment.”
He added the plan to just talk to the victim went “completely astray” and Smart “regrets his actions”.
Sheriff Andrew Miller said: “As soon as the first blows had been struck, although that was by someone else, you were one of three people who rained punches and kicks down on this man who was on the ground almost from the outset.”
He jailed him for 16 months.
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