Published: Wednesday, 27th January, 2010 10:18am

Thug locked up for humiliating attack

Print | Email

A TILLICOULTRY thug has been sentenced to spend 40 months in detention for putting two teenage boys through a humiliating ordeal and committing a separate serious assault.

John McEwan (19) appeared on indictment for sentencing at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday after previously admitting his attack on the boys at the banks of the River Devon, near Derby Place, Tillicoultry, on 24 July last year.

In addition to his time in custody, Sheriff David Mackie ordered McEwan be put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and supervised for three years upon his release.

At his hearing in December, McEwan, of Cairnton Place, pled guilty to brandishing a Buckfast bottle, threatening the older boy with violence, demand he put a condom in his mouth, instructing him to touch McEwan's pubic area, forcing both boys to kiss, and making him take off his clothes and do star jumps, press ups and swim in the water while naked.

Violence

McEwan then spat on his hand and rubbed it on the boy's body and stole his mobile phone.

McEwan admitted a charge of assaulting the younger boy by brandishing a bottle at him, threatening him with violence and demanding he put a condom in his mouth.

During the previous hearing the court was told the accused, who was on bail at the time, was described as being "vallied out his nut and steaming" during the incident which another youth filmed on his mobile phone.

Fiscal depute Jim Graham said that as the ordeal continued, the younger of the boys had to turn away as he could not bare to watch the older boy being humiliated in the way he was.

Video clips

The ordeal only came to light five days later when one of their parents received nine video clips showing what happened on their mobile phone. The matter was subsequently reported to police.

Sheriff Mackie closed the court to the public to see for himself the videos of the attack.

Mr Graham added that both boys felt humiliated and embarrassed about what had happened.

As a result the younger boy had been attending a psychiatrist. The older boy had also indicated he would need help to get over what had happened and was very angry and upset.

Speaking last week, defence agent Peter Keene said the boys had been bullied and abused but added they were at a spot where 'ne'er-do-wells' gathered and good people knew to stay away.

Mr Keene went on, "The victims arrived equipped with Buckfast, while not taking away from what happened to them, they did go there.

"This condom put in their mouths was not something found lying around. It had just been taken from the wrapper."

The solicitor added that McEwan was just one of a gang of lads but conceded "he might not have been the ring master but he was the ring leader".

Sheriff Mackie handed McEwan a sentence of 24 months for the attack on the brothers, backdated to 2 September when he was first placed in custody.

Injury

McEwan was given a further consecutive sentence of 16 months for assaulting a man at a property on Ramsay Terrace, Tillicoultry, by punching and kicking him repeatedly on the body, and kicking him to the head all to his severe injury.

McEwan had been found guilty of the assault following a trial that involved two others.

Mr Keene said his client had offered a guilty plea earlier but all three accused needed to admit the crime before the Crown would find it acceptable.