Police probe assaults in Holytown and Motherwell

Mar 31 2011 by Leona Greenan, Hamilton Advertiser

POLICE are investigating yet more alleged unprovoked assaults in North Lanarkshire.

In the latest incident, a 53-year-old man was injured following an unprovoked attack in Holytown.

The victim was walking along Main Street at around 6.10am on Sunday, March 27, when he noticed two males walking towards him on the footpath near to the Crown Bar. One of the males lashed out at the man for no reason, punching his face.

Both men then walked on, leaving the victim slightly bruised and extremely shaken.

The man later reported the matter to the police and described his attacker as 22 to 28 years old, 5ft 8, wearing a white tracksuit top. The other male was also around 22 to 28-years-old, 6ft and wearing a blue tracksuit top and bottoms.

In another incident, two men were attacked at McClurg Court, Motherwell, at around 8.30pm on Wednesday, March 23.

The 39 and 36-year-old victims were assaulted with an unknown weapon by a man described as being aged 27, white, and wearing a green hooded top. Three other males were with the attacker when he struck causing head and back wounds to the first victim and cuts and bruising to the face of the second man.

The men were treated for their wounds at hospital and later discharged.

In another incident on Wednesday, March 23, a young man was attacked as he walked along Glasgow Road, Wishaw.

The 26-year-old was approached by two men, one of whom began shouting in the victims face in order to start a fight.

The suspect then pushed the complainer and punched him in the jaw before the suspect’s friend restrained him.

The man, who was described as white, aged 18 to 19, 5’8 to 6’ with dark brown hair and wearing a navy tracksuit, was then seen walking into the nearby McDonald’s with two females.

A spokesman for Strathclyde police said: “If anyone witnessed any of the incidents or have any information in relation to them, then Constable Wilson can be contacted direct at Bellshill police on 01698 202400 or call Motherwell Police on 01698 483000, or Crimestoppers can be contacted in confidence on 0800 555 111.”

The assaults follow a spate of incidents in the North Lanarkshire region in recent weeks.

In last week’s Advertiser, police appealed for witnesses after a 39-year-old male was found lying in a New Stevenston street with serious head injuries.

The alleged serious assault appears to have happened in Stevenston Court on the evening of Wednesday, March 16.

The victim was only found on the afternoon of Thursday, March 17, by a member of the public who called an ambulance.