An uncle and nephew “took the law into their own hands” and went looking for revenge after a relative was attacked by her partner.
Liam McConnachie, 19, was armed with a baseball bat when he, along with uncle Brian McConnachie, 29, tracked down the man to an address in Huntly’s Meadow Avenue.
During the previous altercation, Brian McConnachie’s sister had been assaulted by her partner in front of his own six-year-old son, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Tom Procter said the incident happened on October 2 last year and the victim has since died of an overdose.
“There was somewhat of a background between the parties involved,” he said. “There had been a previous altercation however at around 9.50pm the complainer had gone to the address to avoid the pair.
Incident captured on video
“They traced him there. Threats were made by Liam McConnachie to break a window at the home while he was wielding a baseball bat.
“This was captured on video where both men were also seen to be shouting and swearing towards the address where the complainer was.
“The involvement of Brian McConnachie was less and restricted to shouting and swearing.”
Both men admitted charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, with Liam McConnachie admitting a further charge of possession of a weapon.
Liam McConnachie’s defence agent Debbie Ginniver said the teenager has no job, lives with his grandparents and became a dad only seven weeks ago.
She said that the woman who had been assaulted was his aunt, and the child they found “splattered in blood having witnessed it” was his cousin.
‘Rage had boiled over’
“He had been told that the complainer had assaulted his aunt that evening in front of his cousin,” the solicitor said.
“On this occasion rage had boiled over. He attended to confront the complainer who he had been told had a knife. As such he made the foolish decision to take the bat with him.
“This was more for scare tactics and defence as a form of protection rather than for causing harm.
“He is very regretful and remorseful for his actions.”
Brian McConnachie’s solicitor Andrew Ormiston said his client was at work when he got a call to say that his sister had been violently assaulted and he needed to return quickly.
‘He was incensed’
“He got home to find his sister bearing the marks of the assault on her alongside a profuse amount of blood,” he said.
“He also found his son in an extremely distressed state. He also had blood splatters on him and it became apparent that was because the six-year-old had to assist the victim.
“He was incensed by that. There was immediate anger and it’s a matter of great regret to him that he let his anger take control.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge told the men: “Clearly, you wanted to act out of concern for your relatives however, you shouldn’t have taken the law into your own hands.”
She told the younger man he was setting “no example to his new child”, and the older man he “should have known better”.
Liam McConnachie was handed 70 hours of unpaid work while Brian McConnachie must pay a fine of £260.
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