A teenage footballer was punched in the face in a case of “mistaken identity”, a court has heard.
Aberdeen FC forward David Dangana told Aberdeen Sheriff Court he was in a car outside his city home when he was attacked.
Shaun Stewart, 33, and Lana Smart, 30, are accused of attacking and attempting to rob Mr Dangana on August 9 last year when he was 18. Both deny the charges.
In a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, Mr Dangana said Smart flagged down his car and asked him “where is it?” and she was referring to drugs.
Mr Dangana said: “I was confused. I didn’t know what she was talking about. She said something like ‘let me see your phone’ so I unlocked it and gave it to her.
“She was scrolling through it while I sat there – and then the man punched me in the face. Then someone put a knife in my face.”
Mr Dangana told the jury he heard Smart say “it’s not him, it’s not him” and she gave him his phone back.
The man had removed the keys from Mr Dangana’s white Vauxhall Corsa and Smart gave them back to Mr Dangana, the court heard, before she walked off, following two other men.
Defence agent for Smart, Lewis Shand told the court Smart had told Mr Dangana: “Don’t worry, nobody will hurt you,” and that, when a man punched Mr Dangana Smart asked the man: “What are you doing?”
Mr Shand asked Mr Dangana: “Do you accept this was a case of mistaken identity?”
He replied: “Yes.”
Mr Shand asked: “Isn’t it the case there was a distinction between the behaviour that day of the lady and the two men you saw?
“Two people displayed aggression and one person did not.
“Two people who did not seek to help you and one person who did.”
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Mr Dangana said: “Yes.”
The court heard Stewart’s fingerprints were found on the Corsa.
Defence agent for Stewart, Ian Houston questioned why Mr Dangana had identified Stewart in court as the man who held the knife near him when he was only 50% sure it was Stewart.
“I was panicking when it happened. I wasn’t looking at him. I still don’t know who the guy with the knife was,” said Mr Dangana.
Mr Houston said: “Being 50% certain means it could have been him but equally it might not.”
The trial continues.
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