A sheriff has criticised the practice of sending custodies from Lochaber to Inverness after an accused man was left suffering from concussion.
Fort William Sheriff Court yesterday heard that Louis Lowry, 51, was hit on the head during an incident at the taxi rank in the town’s High Street at around 3am on Sunday September 27 last year.
He was arrested and taken to Inverness police station, where he was held in custody – but at 3pm the same day he was taken to Raigmore Hospital suffering from concussion.
Yesterday, Sheriff Richard Davidson made it clear that he thought the accused should have received treatment sooner.
He said: “What’s the point in taking anyone to Inverness if it took until 3pm on Sunday to notice he was suffering from concussion?
“My concern for some time has been the unnecessary, inappropriate and waste of police time in transferring custodies from here to Inverness.
“The only justification offered is that everyone is so well-looked after in this custody suite in Inverness, but that doesn’t seem to have applied to Mr Lowry.”
Lowry, of Trencrom, Lundavra Road, Fort William, admitted assaulting Gordon Clark by striking him on the head.
And his wife Jacqueline Lowry, 45, of the same address, admitted assaulting Ross Clark by repeatedly punching him on the head and body during the same incident.
Fiscal depute Ross Carvel told the court the couple had gone to the taxi rank after a night out drinking with friends.
He said: “As Mr Clark was getting into the taxi, Mr Lowry approached him and struck him to the back of the head.
“A fracas then followed.”
He added that Lowry had been outnumbered and his wife became involved and assaulted Ross Clark.
Hamish Melrose, representing the Lowrys, said there had been an earlier altercation between the two families during which Jacqueline Lowry was called an abusive name.
He added that Louis Lowry suffered concussion after striking his head on a metal railing during the fracas and was taken to Raigmore at around 3pm on the Sunday.
Sheriff Davidson accepted that there had been “an element of provocation”.
He fined Louis Lowry £500 and deferred sentencing Jacqueline Lowry until October 11 for her to be of good behaviour.
