Drunken fistfights between friends started on an Aberdeen street and ended with one of them having a “chunk of flesh” hanging from his face and a woman’s head being hit with a bottle.
Gavin Reid, 36, violently attacked his girlfriend’s brother on January 21 this year, when the pair were seen rolling around the street outside an Aberdeen flat.
When the attack continued inside, further punches were thrown and Reid’s girlfriend was struck on the head with a bottle as she tried to separate the pair.
Police rushing to the chaotic scene arrived to discover blood and broken glass on the floor and Reid’s male victim leaving the flat with “significant facial injuries”.
Reid’s defence solicitor later told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that “both were giving each other as good as they got”.
Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAllister told the court that the disorder began after 6pm.
Reid had turned up at his girlfriend’s home on Gardner Road, Aberdeen, and went inside to chat with his partner, her brother and another man.
“The accused started chatting with them and drinking”, the fiscal said. “Shortly after this, the accused and [his girlfriend’s brother] left the flat to go to nearby shops.
“At about 6.45pm, a witness nearby became aware of a disturbance outside their flat on Gardner Road.
“At this time, they saw the accused and [his girlfriend’s brother] lying on the ground struggling with each other.
“They saw that the accused had a hold of him insofar that he had one arm and a leg round him.
“The accused then got on top of him and was punching him continually to the face and head with his right fist.”
Accused kicked friend’s head
Reid then picked up a box of beers and walked away, but then turned around and tried to pull his victim to his feet before kicking his head, the court heard.
“The police were contacted but on their arrival, there was no one there in the street”, the fiscal added.
It turned out that the men had returned back to Reid’s partner’s flat.
Reid arrived first, followed shortly after by his girlfriend’s brother, who “clearly had facial injuries”, the fiscal explained.
“At about 8.30pm, the accused again started fighting with [his girlfriend’s brother] in the living room of the flat.
“[The girlfriend] observed they were both throwing punches and kicks at each other and as she attempted to step in between them and split them up, she was struck to the right-hand side of her head with a bottle by the accused, before she left her flat to contact the police.”
Woman was struck with bottle
When officers arrived, they found Reid’s male victim leaving the flat with “significant facial injuries”.
“The police officers went inside the flat and saw signs of a disturbance within”, Mr McAllister said.
“There were small blood spatters on the floor, spilled drinks and broken glass on the floor as well.”
Reid’s girlfriend had suffered a small cut and bump to the back of her head.
Her brother was left with a 1cm² “chunk of flesh hanging loose from his lip” as well as a 5cm² abrasion to his face and a graze on his temple.
The left side of his face was also swollen. Both men refused to go to the hospital for treatment.
Reid has been held as a prisoner of HMP Grampian in Peterhead since the incident in January. He pled guilty to two charges of assault to injury.
His defence agent Kevin Longino said Reid suffered foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a condition that can damage the brain and body of a baby and stop it from developing normally in a mother’s womb.
The solicitor said that, despite Reid dealing with his own addictions well, he’d wound up misusing drink and drugs when he had “nothing else to do” during the Coronavirus lockdowns.
‘Each gave as good as they got’
Mr Longino added: “This incident is clearly a deeply upsetting one for all involved as well as those not involved who witnessed it.
“We are talking about a fight between two friends who know each other well and who were both under the influence.
“Both were giving each other as good as they got but he accepts that doesn’t excuse his behaviour”.
Mr Longino also said that Reid had used his time on remand to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
He showed the court a letter from Reid’s girlfriend which stated she was “struck in the struggle” but couldn’t be sure who had hit her.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin jailed Reid, who was already a prisoner at HMP Grampian, for 18 months.
But that sentence, the court was told, had already been served while Reid was locked up for 10 months and one week on remand, meaning he’ll serve no more time behind bars.
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