A thug who subjected a man to a life threating attack in a Perthshire street has been jailed for nine years.
Lee Mullen, 31, was seen jumping on Lindsay Milton’s head with his two feet during the horrifying assault at Davie Park, Rattray, on June 19 2023.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Mullen stole Mr Milton’s Transit van earlier in the evening.
Judge John Morris KC heard that Mr Milton, a painter and decorator, managed to find the vehicle and discovered Mullen at the wheel.
He confronted the thief who then subjected the complainer to an attack witnessed by horrified householders.
Witnesses told police that they saw Mullen repeatedly punch Mr Milton on the head which caused him to fall to the ground.
They then saw Mullen repeatedly stamp on his stricken victim before continuing to punch and kick him as Mr Milton attempted to stand up.
Mullen, a prisoner of HMP Perth, fled the scene and returned to his girlfriend’s home where police tracked him down.
Prosecutor Scott McKenzie told the court of the moment officers arrested the accused in the early hours of June 19.
Mr McKenzie said: “After forcing entry, he was found asleep. At approximately 0240 hours he was arrested.
“Whilst leading him away to a police vehicle, the accused yelled to his partner ‘Bye that’s me f***ed. That’s me away for life’.”
The story emerged after Mullen pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder, vehicle theft, driving carelessly and failing to notify the authorities that he was responsible for an accident.
He also admitted to driving without insurance and driving without a licence.
Judge Morris deferred sentence on Mullen last month for a background report.
On Thursday, Mullen reappeared for sentence and the court heard how he was remorseful for his actions.
But Judge Morris told the accused that he had to go to prison for his crimes.
Passing sentence, Judge Morris said: “This was a dreadful offence involving a truly brutal assault on a member of the public who was trying to take control of his property.
“You beat him mercilessly leaving him with serious injuries.
“It is clear from the victim impact statement that you have had a devastating impact on this man’s life.”
At earlier proceedings, Mr McKenzie told the court that the evening began with Mr Milton, who is self employed, parking his vehicle outside the Angus Hotel in Blairgowrie, Perthshire,.
He spent the evening watching Scotland beat Norway 2-1 in a Euro 2024 qualifier and went to enjoy a meal.
Meanwhile, Mullen broke into the van and drove away. Upon moving away, Mullen struck the front of a Ford Ranger, causing damage to its bumper. He did not stop and continued to move away.
Mr Milton discovered that his vehicle had been stolen and found it parked up in nearby Rattray.
Upon confronting Mullen, Mr Milton was knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked by the accused.
Mr McKenzie said several locals witnessed the attack and saw the level of violence used by Mullen during the assault.
He added: “James Bloice looked out his bedroom window and saw the complainer on the ground with the accused repeatedly jumping on his head with his two feet.
“He also described the accused kicking Lindsay Milton to the head and face.
“He left the property to help Mr Milton and described a pool of blood forming on the ground around his head.”
The court heard that Mr Milton was unconscious for around five minutes. He was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for emergency treatment – medics kept him there for nine days.
Mr McKenzie told the court that Mr Milton has lost several months worth of income following the attack.
He was also given brain scans by concerned doctors in the months following the assault and is still continuing to recover from his injuries.
Judge Morris also ordered Mullen to be supervised by the authorities for three years following his release from custody.
Mullen was also banned from driving for 18 months.