TWO Clydebank teenagers who confessed to “loutish” attacks on complete strangers at a train station have avoided custodial sentences.

The youths, and one other, who cannot be identified because they are under 18, previously pleaded guilty to assaults on two men, along with an unknown fourth youngster.

Their not-guilty pleas to two further assaults were accepted by the court, reports the Clydebank Post. 

A previous hearing had descended into confusion when a social work report mistakenly blamed one of the teenagers for a report not being prepared when it was the fault of the council employee.

Last week all three returned to the dock to finally be sentenced over the December 3 incident.

It was about 8.30pm when the train arrived at Dumbarton East station where a 41-year-old man was getting off the train.

One of the “squad of boys” then “barged” him on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

He was then repeatedly struck by the four youths and a 56-year-old male passenger of the train tried to intervene.

The man told the teenagers to stop assaulting the other man and was himself then punched on the head.

Police detained the youngsters around 9pm and all were heavily under the influence of alcohol.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Paul, representing one 17-year-old, from Helensburgh, said his client was keen to join the armed forces.

He said: “This is a disgraceful incident and he is ashamed of his actions. Intoxication has played a huge part. He recognises he is a man and needs to stand up as a respectable member of society.”

Lauren Kerr, acting for a 17-year-old from Clydebank, said her client realised he had gone “off the rails” after a period in foster care and had now chosen to return to his last foster parents and was addressing his alcohol problem.

She added: “He has clearly recognised he doesn’t want to continue to appear in court and this was an appalling incident.”

Brian McGuire, acting for the second Clydebank youth, who is aged 16, accepted the incident was “loutish” behaviour.

He said: “He is now back residing with his mother. He has secured full-time employment.

“He tends not to go out anymore.”

Sheriff Simon Pender said: “This is a serious matter involving a wholly unprovoked assault on members of the public. Being intoxicated is not an excuse at all.”

All three teenagers were ordered to be supervised by the social work department for the next 18 months. Both the 17-year-olds were ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work in the community within the next 10 months.

The 16-year-old, who had a previous community payback order, must complete 280 hours of unpaid work within the next year.