Sponsored by
Court: Man walks free as Rothesay assault charge found not proven
A Glasgow man accused of assaulting a Rothesay teenager in an incident in the centre of the town shortly after closing time at a local hotel walked free from court on Monday after the charge against him was found not proven.
David Matthews (25), address given as 48 Ferryden Court, Whiteinch, denied assaulting a 19-year-old woman by punching her on the head, causing her to lose consciousness, in Guildford Square in the early hours of July 29 last year.
The woman, who admitted having drunk 20 vodka and Cokes in the hours leading up to the incident, told Rothesay Sheriff Court a man she identified as Matthews had punched her after she pushed him away, feeling that he was harassing her.
But Matthews said he had only pushed the woman away, and had done so after she punched him; Sheriff Ruth Anderson said she was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Matthews was guilty of the offence.
* A Port Bannatyne man who was stopped by police while driving a car without a valid MOT certificate was fined £100 at Rothesay Sheriff Court on Monday.
Twenty-two year-old Adam Neil, whose address was given as 2 Bannatyne Mains Road, was stopped in Argyle Place in Rothesay on September 30.
Fiscal depute Lindy Scaife said Neil had gone to Rothesay police station a few days later to present the appropriate documents, including an MOT certificate dated October 5; on being cautioned and charged he said: “I didn’t know [about the MOT] until youse told me.”
* Eighteen-year-old Andrew Ferguson, whose address was given as Arventigh, Bannatyne Mains Road, Port Bannatyne, was fined £60 on Monday for failing to wear a seat belt while he was the front seat passenger in a car stopped in Ardbeg Road on August 11 last year.
* A Rothesay resident who headbutted and punched a man who complained about the noise being made by his pet dog admitted a charge of assault when he appeared in court on Monday.
Forty-eight year-old Douglas Craig, address given as 2 John Street, admitted assaulting the man in Montague Street on November 17, but his punishment was limited to a fine of £330 after the presiding sheriff acknowledged Craig had found himself “in a difficult situation”.
The court heard a young girl who was with Craig in a toy shop at the time of the offence had been left “very distressed” after the man came in smelling of drink and complaining about the dog.
* Christopher Cameron (22), address given as 95 High Street, Rothesay, pleaded guilty in court on Monday to kicking the window of a local restaurant, causing the glass to crack and smash.
The court was told Cameron had left a nearby pub shortly before 1am on December 30 and had kicked the window of the Shonar Gaon restaurant in Victoria Street four times, breaking it and causing damage estimated at between £1,000 and £2,000.
On being cautioned and charged Cameron said; “I was drunk – stupid – a silly mistake.”
Sentence was deferred to allow time to find out the exact cost of the repair.
* More detail on all these cases in this week’s issue of The Buteman – on sale from Thursday, January 10.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Rothesay
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
