Man battered drunk with baseball bat after he made sexual remarks to kids outside Scots takeaway

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A man has been spared jail for a brutal baseball bat attack on a knife-wielding drunk who had made vile sexual comments to children.

A court heard that Paul McLaughlin was put on the sex offenders' register after making threats to rape and kill.He also landed in hospital after William McPheat, 41, took the law into his own hands at a takeaway in Caldercruix, Lanarkshire.McPheat admitted assaulting McLaughlin, 41, to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement on February 22 this year.Airdrie Sheriff Court heard that four children aged 12 and a 14-year-old were standing outside the takeaway at 7pm.McLaughlin was staggering around, under the influence.Lauren Cole, prosecuting said he subjected the children to sexual comments and questioned the gender of one girl.Mrs Cole told the court: "McLaughlin brandished a knife towards the children while shouting threats and threw a glass bottle towards one girl who sustained a minor injury to her ankle."The children went into the takeaway but McLaughlin followed."McPheat then arrived and was told about McLaughlin's conduct.

He went back to his car and returned in possession of a baseball bat. He struck McLaughlin, who was standing at the counter, up to 10 times on the head and body."One of the shop's delivery drivers arrived and managed to separate the men."McLaughlin was taken to hospital where a cut to the left side of his forehead was treated with four stitches.

He also had a wound to his scalp that required four staples."McPheat, who had a cut to his hand, told police that McLaughlin had attacked him with his knife.Defence agent Luke O'Curry referred to statements given to the police in which the children told of McLaughlin's threats to rape, molest and kill them.The lawyer