Blantyre teen caged following serious assault at Asda

Feb 11 2010 Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE youth has been jailed for a year after he was found guilty of fracturing a man’s jaw during an incident at a supermarket.

Nineteen-year-old Robert Connal was sent to a young offenders’ institute this week after a jury convicted him of seriously assaulting Ross McKnight to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement last year.

Connal, of Devondale Avenue, attacked Mr McKnight in Asda, Blantyre, on September 6 last year.

In December, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that Connal punched his victim with such force Mr McKnight required hospital treatment.

When the victim later attended A&E at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, staff found he has lost a tooth and suffered a fractured jaw on the left and right side.Mr McKnight underwent surgery and had two plates inserted.

Earlier, Connal had pleaded guilty to three others charges relating to the same incident.

He admitted committing breach of the peace at Asda on September 7 by acting in a disorderly manner, shouting and swearing. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting police constable David Falconer and spitting on the officer while being transported in a police vehicle from Asda in Blantyre to Hamilton Police office.

Connal also admitted threatening to stab police constables Falconer and Stephen Sandilands when he was released.

The accused has a list of previous convictions which include assault and robbery with a bottle, road traffic offences, breach of the peace and assault.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, Sheriff Ray Small sentenced Connal to nine months’ detention, as his recent offences had been committed before the expiry of a previous sentence.

Sheriff Small sentenced him to a further three months’ detention for the offences on September 6 and 7.