Man jailed for Dundee ‘cycle rage’ assault

Graeme Brankin. Picture: Alan Richardson

Graeme Brankin followed Keith Walker from Dundee city centre for around a mile before hitting him so hard that his eye socket and cheekbone were fractured.

A jury was told that an argument had erupted between Mr Brankin and Mr Walker over right of way in the city’s High Street.

The pensioner was cycling when he heard shouting from behind him with Mr Brankin - who went on to carry out an almost identical attack 11 months later - calling him “blind” and “stupid”.

Mr Walker cycled off but later sensed someone behind him.

After another argument Mr Brankin struck him so hard his glasses and hearing aid fell off and his legs buckled, causing him to fall from his bicycle.

A jury at Dundee Sheriff Court heard the pensioner needed an operation to insert three metal plates into his face as a result of the attack.

Meanwhile Mr Brankin, who has a string of previous convictions for violence - simply cycled off.

A three-day trial heard from another victim of an almost identical attack elsewhere in the city, which took place 11 months later.

In that second cycle rage attack, Alistair Bruce told how he had been hit by Mr Brankin in a park and woke up later in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

Another witness said “super angry” Mr Brankin screamed at the man, before resting his bike against a wall and punching him in the face.

As Mr Bruce fell to the ground, Mr Brankin, a father of four - struck him twice again before once again cycling off.

The witness said he was concerned for Mr Bruce, who was covered in blood, and put him in the recovery position fearing he would choke.

Mr Brankin, 49, a prisoner at HMP Perth, had denied charges of assault to severe injury and assault to injury.

However a jury took less than half-an-hour to find him unanimously guilty of both attacks.

He was convicted of assaulting the pensioner by repeatedly striking him on the head, causing him to fall from his bicycle to the ground, to his severe injury between Greenmarket and Roseangle on September 2, 2013.

And he was also found guilty of assaulting another male by repeatedly punching him on the head, knocking him to the ground, rendering him unconscious to his injury at the pavement entrance to Claypotts Park, Arbroath Road on August 9 this year.

Sheriff George Way jailed Mr Brankin for 30 months, and imposed a 12-month supervised release order meaning he will be monitored on release.