Fife man jailed for brutal street assault after hospital visit

FIFE MAN JAILED FOR BRUTAL STREET ASSAULT AFTER HOSPITAL VISIT

A thug has been jailed for brutally attacking a woman in a Fife street after she tried to get him back to hospital for medical help.

She had gone with Andrew Smith, 27, to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy to have his leg injury checked on November 8 last year.

Prosecutor Tracey Brown told the High Court in Glasgow previously the woman tried to convince Smith to return but he lashed out at her on the street, throwing eight or nine punches as she covered her face.

He then pulled her by the hood of her coat and hit her again, before throttling her from behind until she passed out.

Miss Brown stated: “He said: ‘I am going to murder you if you stick me in or give a statement.

If I get the jail, I will come for you’.” The woman broke free and went into the hospital for help for a fractured and cut nose, concussion and tenderness to her neck and a passing witness called police.

Smith pled guilty to assault to severe injury and danger of life after an attempted murder accusation was deleted from the charges.

He already had 17 convictions and served a 32-month jail term for violence in 2023.

He was ordered to serve a 184 days of an unexpired prison sentence, followed by seven years and eight months behind bars and a further 28 months on licence.

High-risk prisoner Smith was described as offering a “self serving” account of the circumstances of the attack on the woman who, the court heard, now suffers PTSD and anxiety.

A lifelong non-harassment order was imposed by Lord Scott, who said: “Your attack was violent, persistent and highly dangerous.

“Her mental health deteriorated to the stage she was detained in hospital.

She believes you had a major part to play in wearing her down to nothing.”