A man who launched an unprovoked attack on a homeless person sleeping outside a shop has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison. According to BBC News, Campbell Brett struck Gordon Skillen with a baseball bat in the early hours of 13 July as the victim rested with a group of other men outside a Tesco store on Tomnahurich Street in Inverness. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Brett had been drinking heavily before the assault.
Sentencing Brett to nine years and four months, Lord Ghosh described the 24-year-old's conduct as "utterly reckless" and noted there was no provocation for the attack. The judge also observed that Brett made no attempt to seek help for his victim. Had Brett not pleaded guilty, he would have faced a 14-year custodial sentence. Following his release, Brett will be subject to a further three-year licence period during which he can be recalled to prison if he breaches the conditions.
Brett admitted assaulting Skillen, 45, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of his life, and attempting to murder him. The Inverness Courier reported that Brett had previous convictions for violence and was assessed as a high risk of reoffending.
What happened during the attack?
Brett walked away from the scene immediately after the assault but returned shortly afterwards to ask whether Skillen was "dead yet". He then approached police officers who had arrived at the location and confessed, saying "It was me. I done it." During his interview, Brett indicated that he had been annoyed by an earlier comment he believed Skillen had made about him. CCTV reportedly captured Brett returning to the sleeping group with the bat, and the recovered weapon was splintered from the force of the blow.
What injuries did the victim sustain?
Skillen suffered multiple fractures to the skull and face along with a brain bleed as a result of the attack. He underwent extensive surgical intervention and was placed in an induced coma during his recovery. The court heard that he is now only able to communicate in short sentences and has lost all feeling down the left side of his body. Prosecutor Natalie McCartney told the court that Skillen would require significant rehabilitation before leaving hospital, followed by an assessment of his care and support needs.
What was said in Brett's defence?
Defence counsel Lisa Gillespie KC acknowledged that Brett had expressed genuine regret and remorse for his actions and recognised the serious harm he had caused to his victim. She highlighted that Brett had experienced adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma. Gillespie also noted that Brett is now in a stable relationship and is engaged to be married.
