A man has been jailed after repeatedly punching the face of a stranger who was attempting to sell an iPhone to his friend.
Ian Donnelly’s friend Daniella Hunter had arranged to meet Alan Powell at Paisley Gilmour Street on February 23 to buy an iPhone.
However, Donnelly, 25, claimed he was “concerned” about the nature of the conversation between Daniella and Powell and so when he met him in the street, he punched him to the ground.
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Prosecutor fiscal depute Dana Barclay told Paisley Sheriff Court: Alan Powell created a Facebook post looking to sell an iPhone.
Ms Barclay explained: “A Facebook user, Daniella Hunter sent a message to Powell asking if the phone was still for sale.
“Powell asked Hunter to attend his home to collect the phone, but she refused and arranged to meet him at Paisley Gilmour Street.
“Powell believed he was meeting Ms Hunter.
“Powell was approached by the accused and another male and the accused asked, ‘Are you Alan?’
“Powell denied he was as at that point he was not expecting to meet two males and he attempted to leave.
“Donnelly asked if he was there to meet someone to hand over a phone and Powell denied this again.
“The accused then states, ‘I’m going to stab you.’
“He then pushed him to the chest before punching him three times on the face causing his glasses to fall off and him to fall to the ground.
“Powell suffered a 1cm cut to his lower lip that required two stitches.”
Court heard that cops carried out a review of Daniella Hunter’s Facebook page that showed she had posted about how Powell was trying to “lure her in” and that she was warning others that he was “dangerous.”
Defence agent Mr Sievewright told the court Donnelly is “expecting a custodial sentence.”
He explained that Daniella Hunter is a young, female friend of Donnelly’s and she had asked him to meet Alan Powell to pick up and pay for the iPhone on her behalf.
Mr Sievewright said: “Powell dropped the price of the iPhone from £150 to £120 without Ms Hunter, who lives in Edinburgh, asking.
“She had asked my client to collect the phone for her.
“Powell then went on to say he didn’t want any money for the phone and she was to go to his house to collect it.
“Ms Hunter was telling Donnelly this and this raised some concerns.
“When he saw Powell at the train station matching the description he had given Hunter which she passed on to him, and also having a dog with him, he claims Powell squared up to him, and that’s when he pushes him and fully accepts punching him causing him to fall to the ground.”
Sentencing, Sheriff Bruce Erroch QC said: “You have plead guilty to a charge which is an assault on a stranger in a public place where an injury was sustained.”
Sheriff Erroch QC jailed Donnelly for eight months backdating this to March 7 – Donnelly’s date of remand.
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