An Inverness man accused of hitting another man over the head with a bottle and a radiator was cleared today after he claimed his alleged victim was wielding an axe.
Colin Hunter, 26, described as a prisoner at Low Moss Prison, denied assaulting Gordon Skillen, 33, by repeatedly striking him on the head with the weapons, as well punching him to his severe injury on October 26 last year.
But after Hunter gave evidence, a jury took less than 30 minutes to return a unanimous not proven verdict.
Earlier in the trial, Mr Skillin told the jury at Inverness Sheriff Court that he had been hit over the head with an empty vodka bottle and a room heater in an unprovoked attack in his house in Walker Crescent.
He had to have 12 staples applied to wounds at Raigmore Hospital and fragments of glass removed from his head.
Mr Hunter was also accused of assaulting Mr Skillin’s partner Lisa Miller at the same address by repeatedly pushing her and slapping her on the face. But fiscal depute Michelle Molley did not seek a conviction on that charge and withdrew it.
Mr Hunter’s solicitor advocate Shahid Latif lodged special defences of self-defence and third party protection.
Mr Skillin told fiscal depute Michelle Molley that there had been a disagreement between himself and Ms Miller’s friend Katherine Stewart and he had left the house.
When he returned he said he found Hunter in his house.
Mr Skillin said: “He just brandished a bottle without any cause.”
He added that he had then been punched and hit on the back of the head with the radiator and claimed he had pursued his attacker with an axe into the street.
Hunter told the court that his friend, Katherine had phoned him at his house in a hysterical state claiming she had been beaten by Mr Skillin.
Hunter went to Walker Crescent and found her with blood on her face, a thick lip and a black eye.
He said: “I tried to get her home but she didn’t want to leave without her shoes. She was in bare feet. She also had other belongings like her handbag, purse and mobile phone still in the house.
“She went in to get them and I went in a short time later. Then the other guy came in and he had an axe. He raised it and I thought I was going to be hit. I grabbed the bottle and hit him over the head.
“There was a bit of rolling about, we fell down the stairs and I grabbed the radiator and pushed it down on him to stop him getting up. Kitty (Katherine) and I then left the house. I didn’t want to be there. It was self defence and I was protecting myself and Kitty.”
It emerged in court that Mr Skillin was prosecuted and admonished for possessing the axe.
