Thug punched man and threw sledgehammer in violent assault in city street

22.12.2022 - 19:53 / dailyrecord.co.uk

A man who repeatedly punched a man on the head in a Raploch street – as well as throwing a sledgehammer at him – this week received a jail sentence.

Graham Morton, who is currently serving a seven-year term for attempted murder, appeared for sentence at Stirling Sheriff Court via videolink from Glenochil Prison on Wednesday.

He had admitted headbutting a man in Raploch’s Woodside Road on Christmas Eve, 2021, by grabbing him by the clothing, punching him to the head and headbutting him on the head.

The 32-year-old, whose address was given as Lochearnhead, had also pleaded guilty to assaulting another man by repeatedly punching him to the head and throwing a sledgehammer at him.

Both offences had occurred while Morton was on bail on another matter.

However, Morton’s not guilty pleas to charges of attempting to rob one of the men of a scooter and assaulting a third man by punching him and throwing a metal pole at him had been accepted by the Crown along with charges of having offensive weapons – a metal pole and a sledgehammer.

Morton’s agent Frazer McCready told Sheriff Derek Hamilton on Wednesday the accused had been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at the High Court which was backdated to February 4, 2022, when the jury returned their guilty verdict. The release date on the attempted murder offence was August 2028, the solicitor added.

Sentence on the two Woodside Road assault charges had been deferred to await the outcome of a High Court appeal which was no longer proceeding.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton pointed out that Morton was serving a significant sentence and his sentencing options were therefore limited.

He sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment on the two Raploch assault charges, concurrent with the existing