A man who sent his neighbour to hospital following a bloody doorstep assault has avoided a prison sentence.
Yan Murray, 69, appeared at his neighbour’s door to remonstrate with him over an issue with a communal door within a block of flats in Aberdeen that both men lived in.
Without warning, Murray then punched the man, causing a deep laceration to the back of his head.
It was stated that police who arrived on the scene found a lot of blood on the floor when they entered the man’s home before he was taken to hospital.
Murray, who has a number of previous convictions, admitted stalking another neighbour in 2021.
Police find blood on the ground
Fiscal depute Eilidh Gunn told the court that at around 1pm on March 9 last year, Murray’s neighbour was returning to his home address in the Mannofield area where the two men met on the communal landing.
A discussion between Murray and the other man then took place that centered on door within the communal area.
Both men then went their separate ways.
However, a short while later the neighbour heard a noise at his front door and opened it to find Murray standing there.
Murray then repeatedly punched him in the face and head before leaving the man’s address.
When the police arrived, they found blood at the doorway of the property and a large amount of blood in the hallway.
At Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the man was treated for a 7cm laceration to the back of his head.
In the dock, Murray pleaded guilty to one charge of assault to severe injury.
Men had longstanding animosity
Defence solicitor George Mathers told the court that his client disputed some of the events narrated by the Crown and claimed that it was his client who was first assaulted by his neighbour.
“Mr Murray had gone to the door of the complainer and when I opened it the complainer punched him to the face and he punched back,” Mr Mathers said.
“There had been a number of problems with this particular neighbour and my client tells me the complainer broke the door of the communal block on a number of occasions.
“Mr Murray could have walked away, but he had just been punched in the face.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Murray: “You have a number of analogous convictions for assault and assault to injury.
“I have considered that this meets the custodial threshold, but I will instead impose an alternative sentence.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Johnston made Murray, of Thorngrove Avenue, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with 180 hours of unpaid work.
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