An Aberdeenshire man has been jailed for attempting to murder a biker and assaulting three others.
Ian Ewing, from Newtonhill, was sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in the brutal roadside attack in Moray, in September 2018.
A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh saw shocking video footage earlier this year of Ewing and others attacking members of the Nomads group on the A98 near Cullen.
Jurors saw Ewing and his sidekicks striking Colin Sutherland, John Sutherland, Edward Forrest and Nicky Syratt with a claw hammer, a tyre iron and a baseball bat.
Moments earlier Ewing had driven his Vauxhall Insignia at Colin Sutherland and collided with the motorcyclist forcing him to fall off his bike.
Jurors also saw Ewing and his accomplices use a knife to cut off waistcoats bearing the ‘Nomads’ name.
Police arrested Ewing shortly afterwards – he was in his car with a group of other men. When they searched his car, they found a hammer containing his DNA hidden beneath a passenger seat.
The head of the hammer also matched an indentation left on Mr Forrest’s helmet.
Detectives also found a top bearing the name ‘the Blue Angels’.
The Blue Angels claim to be the oldest motorcycling gang in Scotland.
Judge Lady Scott told the remand prisoner- who observed proceedings via video link from jail – that he was guilty of a “brutal” and “concerted attack”.
She added: “One witness described this as a planned ambush. This was a brutal and planned attack.
“You and others brutally attacked the victims on the road way with weapons.
“There is no clear explanation in the evidence for this attack.”
Jurors earlier convicted the 44-year-old on a charge of attempting to murder Colin Sutherland and of assaulting John Sutherland to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
He was also convicted of assaulting Mr Forrest to his severe injury and to the danger of his life. Ewing was also convicted of assaulting Mr Syratt to his injury and danger of his life.
Following conviction, it emerged that Ewing worked as an operations manager and was in charge of maintenance contacts for the police and fire service.
Defence advocate Susan Duff said: “Ian Ewing was a man who had a good life. He had and still has a positive loving relationship with his partner and and a close and a loving relationship with his son.
“He had a good responsible job and many friends.
“His period in custody to date has been the worst period in his life.
“He maintains his innocence and is in disbelief at his conviction.
“This represents a very sad interlude in his life.”
