A sheriff was yesterday talked through CCTV footage of a major disturbance in a Highland ceilidh bar that must have resembled scenes from the Wild West.
At the height of the battle in Skippinish Ceilidh House in Oban, one man was seen to smash a bottle against a wall in readiness to use it as a weapon.
Neil McKinven, 34, Cameron Barclay, 22, and Jamie Hynes, 29, became involved in the fight in the early hours of June 6 and appeared appeared at Oban Sheriff Court and admitted a number of charges.
The court heard that Barclay became involved in a fight and his two colleagues joined in.
Barclay, of 7 Dover Street, Coatbridge, and Hynes, of 39 Staffa Drive, Airdrie, pleaded guilty to assaulting Alan McCallum by repeatedly punching him on the head and body to his injury.
Barclay also pleaded guilty to assaulting bouncer James MacLean by repeatedly punching him on the head and body to his injury.
McKinven, of 48 Kiltarie Crescent, Airdrie, and Hynes pleaded guilty to assaulting Edward Gibb by head-butting him repeatedly, punching and kneeing him on his head and body and brandishing bottles at him, all to his injury.
McKinven and Hynes also both admitted assaulting Skipinnish owner Angus MacPhail by punching him on the head and body and biting him, all to his injury.
McKinven pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon, namely a broken bottle, while Hynes admitted the same offence involving an unbroken bottle.
Fiscal Eoin McGinty described the fight for Sheriff Douglas Small as he played security camera footage.
He said: “A fight broke out between Barclay and another person. Upon seeing this McKinven and Hynes became involved. Hynes in particular joined in an assault on the first complainer, Alan McCallum.
“A bouncer intervened and he was assaulted by Barclay also.
“There came a point when Hynes lifted two bottles and passed one to McKinven. McKinven was seen to smash the bottle against a wall and brandish it towards the general melee.
“While that is happening Hynes lifts a third bottle and approaches the ongoing fight with Barclay and others.
“After approaching the group Hynes then becomes involved in an assault on Edward Gibb.
“The owner of Skipinnish, Angus MacPhail, became involved to try to calm things down.
“At that point McKinven knees or kicks Mr Gibb. He then becomes involved in a general assault on Mr McPhail.
“Finally, Mr McCallum can be seen stumbling about with no shirt on and his shoes off, at which point he is punched squarely on the face by Hynes. He falls to the ground with a broken nose.”
Sentence was deferred until October 1 for background reports.