News / Trouble in Trance Closs
AN APPRENTICE car mechanic was found guilty of assaulting two nightclub bouncers up a dark alley in Lerwick at the town’s sheriff court on Thursday, despite discrepancies in the evidence.
Eighteen year old Jonathan Sinclair, of Dungarven, Houster, Tingwall, had denied attacking the two men with a broken whisky bottle.
The court heard that six weeks earlier, Sinclair himself had been attacked by four bouncers who chased him after he slapped one of them outside Posers nightclub where they worked.
The four door stewards face trial for the alleged assault, while Sinclair has admitted slapping the bouncer on 8 April.
On 20 May Sinclair came face to face with one of the four men, 27 year old Steven Nicolson, who was on a night out with fellow Posers doorman Michael Owen, aged 24.
The two men claimed Sinclair had ran at them with a broken whisky bottle in Trance Closs, beside Market Cross, shouting he was going to get Owen.
They said they were frightened and swept his legs from under him, dragged him out of the lane and called the police.
However Sinclair claimed it was the two men who had set upon him, leaving him with a black eye and several cuts and grazes to his head.
The court saw photos of Sinclair’s injuries taken the following day by his mother, but CCTV footage which showed Nicolson kicking Sinclair twice in the stomach was not available.
Defence agent Paul Barnett proposed the two doormen were not credible witnesses, claiming the two men had set out to give Sinclair “a good hiding” after going to the police about the previous assault.
But procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie insisted their evidence was more reliable than that of Sinclair, who admitted to being very drunk and only having a blurred memory of events.
Sheriff Philip Mann took the side of the prosecution, finding Sinclair guilty and deferring sentence until 10 January for reports.
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