Cowardly thug kicked woman

Oct 9 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A COWARDLY thug kicked awoman in the stomach during a row outside a High Blantyre pub.

Police went to the village’s Main Street and found Morag Williamson in great pain clutching her stomach.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court on Tuesday 24-year-old mechanic Kevin Boyd, of Milton Street, Hamilton, admitted assaulting Ms Williamson to her injury on November 11, 2007.

However, his not guilty plea to a breach of the peace was accepted by the Crown.

Fiscal depute Alastair Learmont told how Ms Williamson and a female friend had been drinking in Matt’s Bar, Main Street, that evening.

She had arrived there at 8pm and Boyd entered the pub half an hour later with his girlfriend and two other people.

Mr Learmont said that about 11.30pm it appeared Boyd got involved in an altercation outside the premises.

He added: “It was at this point Miss Williamson left Matt’s Bar and went outside. She asked Boyd to ‘leave it and go home.’”

The fiscal depute said Boyd walked off towards a lane next to the Blantyre Inn, near Matt’s Bar, and Ms Williamson again pleaded with him to go home.

At this point he turned to face her and kicked her in the stomach, out of sight of other people.

Boyd then made off towards Victoria Street and Ms Williamson made her way back to Main Street “distressed and in some pain.”

After police had been informed of the disturbance they arrived at the scene to find Ms Williamson clutching her stomach. She was in a distressed state, said Mr Learmont, and complained of stomach pain.

She declined medical assistance at that time, but later attended Hairmyres Hospital as she had blood in her urine and a sore stomach.

Miss Williamson was detained there for a few days for observation and released without further treatment.

Officers had tried, unsuccessfully, to trace Boyd after the incident.

Boyd, however, later attended for interview voluntarily and told officers he had been drunk at the time of the incident and could not remember the attack. He accepted, however, that he could have assaulted Ms Williamson and told officers: ‘It’s out of character.’

Boyd’s solicitor Andy Brophy told Sheriff Andrew Mackie that everyone involved that evening had been drinking, adding: “My client is not in a position to say what the argument was about. There was some dispute with thiswoman.

“He left and for whatever reason she left thereafter and this very unfortunate incident occurred.

“There is nothing sinister underlying it and he’s very sorry about the incident.”

Sheriff Mackie deferred sentence on Boyd until November 4 for reports.