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Wick man jailed for assault that left friend with ‘busted’ knee





Sheriff Neil Wilson handed down sentence at Wick Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Neil Wilson handed down sentence at Wick Sheriff Court.

A Wick man has been jailed for 20 months for a vicious attack on a drinking buddy which a sheriff described as "dreadful and unprovoked".

George Newlands punched Kevin Bremner and hit him with a length of wood in the attack before dragging him out of a house and leaving him helpless on the pavement.

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Mr Bremner managed to crawl a short distance before phoning for help.

Wick Sheriff Court heard this week how an initially convivial drinking session on August 11 last year turned violent after Newlands invited Mr Bremner and another acquaintance for a drink at his home in Bexley Terrace, Wick.

Fiscal Depute Grant McLennan said that the trio worked their way through a litre bottle of vodka with mixers, while sitting on a sofa.

He said Mr Bremner recalled how the mood took a dramatic turn for the worse, as if "someone had pressed a switch"

Newlands (51) suddenly punched him three or four times causing his hearing aids to fall out.

Then the accused went to his bedroom and returned with "a big, long, wooden object" which he raised above his head before hitting Mr Bremner twice with it, on his left knee, causing him to fall onto the floor.

There was no indication emerged of what triggered the assault.

Mr Bremner remained on the floor for half an hour searching for his hearing aids and unable to get up due to the knee injury.

Newlands ignored his pleas to phone for an ambulance and dragged him out of the flat before going back in and locking the front door.

Mr Bremner phoned 999 saying his knee was "busted" and he wanted an ambulance.

Police who arrived on the scene were unable to get a clear account of the assault from him, due to his level of his intoxication and the fact he didn't have his hearing aids.

He was treated at Caithness General Hospital for a hairline fracture to his left femur and bruising to the right side of his face. He named Newlands as his attacker before being discharged a few days later.

Sheriff Neil Wilson said Newlands had not accepted full responsibility for his actions and only admitted half of what he had done, to a social worker preparing a report.

He told Newlands, who pleaded guilty and admitted a "dreadful" record of previous offending: "You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself."

In addition to the jail sentence, the accused was banned from having any contact with Mr Bremner for five years under a non-harassment order.


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