Victim was hit with hammer in pay-back assault

[Nwicker60]

Ex-soldier took the law into his own hands after attack

EX-SOLDIER KevIn Stewart had a score to settle with his former stepson and paid him a visit one night – armed with a hammer.
The stepson, Darren Stewart, was alleged to have waged a campaign of intimidation against Kevin Stewart’s mother.
The story of how off-shore worker Kevin Stewart, 29, took the law into his own hands, was told at Wick Sheriff Court on Friday when he appeared on indictment and admitted an assault.
Stewart entered Darren Stewart’s home in Macrae Street, Wick, uninvited, on January 29, last year, and confronted him in the living room.
David Barclay, prosecuting, said that the accused struck Stewart once on the head and punched him a few times. A companion with the accused, Alexander Green, 29, of Gunn’s Terrace, Wick, got involved in “a side show” incident and punched Sean Munro, one of Darren Stewart’s friends. Both the accused left the house.
Darren Stewart was taken to hospital with a deep cut on the left hand side of his face, which required stitches. He also had a cut on the side of one cheek and bruising and sustained a broken finger.
The victim discharged himself from Caithness General Hospital on January 31, last year.
The court was told that Kevin Stewart and Darren Stewart’s mother had married some years ago but separated, on acrimonious terms so far as she and her son were concerned. This had prompted an unwelcome response from Darren Stewart who, it was alleged embarked on a campaign of harassment with Kevin Stewart’s mother the becoming the target for vandalism of her home and car and intimidation in public.
Mr Barclay said that matters came to a head when Kevin Stewart learned of an assault on his mother, allegedly by Darren Stewart and this was the trigger to the hammer attack.
The accused solicitor, George Mathers said that the mother was punched repeatedly in the face and knocked to the ground, while out walking her dog with her husband.
Mr Mathers went on: “She managed to stumble home, locked the door but could not face going out.” The incident was reported to the police but they could not get sufficient corroboration to justify a prosecution.”
When interviewed by the police, Stewart repeatedly replied “no comment” but appeared emotional when asked about the relationship with his estranged wife.
Mr Mathers stressed he was not putting the motive forward as an excuse for the accused’s behaviour but there had certainly been provocation. He maintained that Stewart only intended to frighten Darren Stewart and had taken the hammer with him to gain entry to the house if the door was locked.
Mr Mathers added: “The accused was upset at what had happened to his mother. Darren Stewart went to grab a knife when he saw Kevin who then hit him with the hammer.”
The solicitor said that the accused had served in Afghanistan and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
The case was continued for reports until February 28.