Glasgow man ordered to do community service after assaulting pensioner

A Glasgow man who assaulted a pensioner on his doorstep because he wrongly believed it was his flat has been ordered to do 210 hours of unpaid work.

Toby Pilkington, 21, pounced on neighbour John McCulloch, 67, at the property in Glasgow's Hyndland on November 10 2024.

The cafe worker repeatedly punched Mr McCulloch and left him with bruised ribs as well as a collapsed lung.

He is said to have laughed at his victim before he left the scene.

However, he was later caught as he dropped his mobile phone and provisional driving licence.

Pilkington pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the assault to Mr McCulloch's severe injury and permanent impairment.

Sheriff Joan Kerr today ordered Pilkington to do 210 hours of unpaid work and put him under supervision for two years.

Pilkington will also pay Mr McCulloch £800 in compensation after the victim was unable to go on his pre-booked holiday.

The sheriff said: "You woke an old age pensioner up in the middle of the night.

"He tells me in his victim impact statement that he suffered the most significant injury as far as he is concerned which was to his fingers.

"He finds it difficult to regain all the sensation in his fingers, however, he also suffered a number of broken ribs which can be extremely serious.

"I see that you cannot remember acting this way which in itself is alarming.

"It seems that you are a young man and a risk taker who requires to mature a good deal and if you don't change from the way you behaved on this occasion, your future will be bleak indeed."

The court earlier heard that Mr McCulloch and his wife Aileen were woken up at 4.45am.

Mr McCulloch came to find Pilkington standing at the entrance to common close wearing dark clothing.

Witnesses later heard the pair shouting in the street with one of the men heard to say “Mon then.”

Prosecutor Darren Harty said: “Pilkington then started to assault Mr McCulloch by punching him to the head multiple times causing him to fall to the ground.

“Pilkington then sat on top of the Mr McCulloch, putting his body weight onto him, and has continued to punch him to the body.”

Mrs McCulloch looked out her window to see her husband lying on the ground with Pilkington “standing over him laughing.”

Pilkington then fled the scene.

Mr McCulloch went on to find Pilkington’s phone and provisional driving licence which was passed on to the police.

The pensioner went to hospital, having suffered pain to his knees, a sore hand and cuts to his knuckles.

He also sustained tenderness to his chest wall, grazing to his knees, a wound to his forehead as well as pain and swelling to his fingers.

The victim further received three fractures to his ribs and a collapsed lung.

Pilkington was traced at his home meantime and stated that he had no recollection of the incident.

Alison Miller, defending, told the court that her client had been out drinking a friend, returned home, went out again before he walked to the wrong flat.

The lawyer stated that Mr McCulloch initially “prodded” Pilkington on the chest.

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