Thug mercilessly targeted Edinburgh man who has mental capacity of a six-year-old

A callous thug poured raw eggs over a vulnerable man’s head and shaved off one of his eyebrows during a disturbing 18 month campaign of abuse.

Cruel thug: Wallbank

William Wallbank befriended the man - who was described as having the mental capacity of a six-year-old - before regularly assaulting him and stealing £3000 from him.

The brute and his friends would take over the victim’s Edinburgh flat for drinking sessions and beat the man by punching and kicking him.

Wallbank, 25, took the man to an ATM and made him take money out while he also stole cash from the man’s wallet.

And on one occasion the gang arrived at the man’s home in July 2019 and after he fell asleep they “poured raw eggs” over his head and “shaved off his left eyebrow”.

The yobs then told the confused victim the mess he was covered in was a result of him been sick over himself.

Wallbank admitted carrying out the abuse between January 2018 and July 2019 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Douglas Keir told him he had “taken advantage” of both victims vulnerabilities and that he had acted in “an appalling manner”.

The sheriff said the “threshold for custody had been met” but stopped short of imposing a jail sentence and placed Wallbank on a community playback order as a direct alternative.

Wallbank was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and placed on a supervision order for 18 months.

He will also be electronically tagged and must stay within his home address between 7pm and 7am for the next four months.

Sheriff Keir also issued two non-harassment orders banning the lout from contacting both victims from the next 18 months.

Previously the court was told Wallbank, from Tranent, East Lothian, and the victim were reintroduced several years after being at school together.

The court heard the man felt “pressured into having more people at his home” than he wanted and Wallbank and his gang would turn up for drinking sessions.

The thug then stole cash from the man’s wallet, made him take cash out from an ATM and buy him goods from a supermarket.

The court heard Wallbank stole a total of £3000 from the man between October 2018 and July 2019.

Wallbank was also said to have “preyed” on a girlfriend who was “too scared to confront the accused due to the repercussions”.

Fiscal depute Anna Robertson said the violent yob stole £1500 from the woman who was also described as being vulnerable.

The abuse came to a halt when the woman and the male victim confided in each other and decided inform the police.

Wallbank pleaded guilty to assaulting the man by repeatedly striking and pushing him to the body in Musselburgh, East Lothian, between January 1 and December 31, 2018.

He also admitted to stealing £3000 from the man between October 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019 at Tollcross, Edinburgh.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting the vulnerable man by seizing him, pushing him on the body, striking him to the head, body and legs and pouring raw eggs over him and shaving off an eyebrow at an address in Edinburgh on July 6 or 7, 2019.

Wallbank pleaded to further charges of assaulting the woman by repeatedly punching her on the leg and to stealing £1500 from her at various locations between October 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019.

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