Pair grabbed pal from police officers 10/5/13
An altercation between police officers and a number of youths at a house party was
described at a trial at Stornoway Sheriff Court.
Four youths were arrested over the incident which occurred at an address in the Cearns
area of Stornoway on 8 December 2012.
Steven Macdonald pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer and attempting
to headbutt him
Laurence Sandilands, 20, of Lamont Lane, Stornoway, along with Sean Macdonald, 21,
of 61 Garrabost and Shaun Macleod, 18, from Lewis but presently residing at 37 McCall
Avenue, Tullicheavan, Alexandria, denied trying to help Steven Macdonald escape from
police custody by pulling him from police officers who were trying to arrest him.
Police were called to the property due to a complaint of blaring music.
Giving evidence, Sandilands said there was a crowd of people around the porch when
police arrived at the front door.
The computing student said one officer grabbed Steven Macdonald by the neck and ripped
his jumper.
He said he believed unnecessary force was used on Steven Macdonald.
He insisted: “Steven had done nothing wrong. He had been shoved forward by the crowd
moving from the porch.”
Later, he told the court a female police officer “injured herself” when “her hand
caught between Steven and the door frame when the other officer pulled Stevie.”
Sandlilands said: “She was blaming me for the injury. I told her it wasn’t anything
but her own fault.”
When Sean Macdonald gave evidence he said he saw police at the door and there was
also a “squad of people, about eight to ten people (from the party), there.”
Macdonald queried how he could possibly have been expected to “pull Steven with that
many people in the porch in the first place.”
In his evidence, Shaun Macleod accepted loud music was playing at the party.
Macleod said there were “loads of people jammed in the porch.
He agreed with lawyer Angus Macdonald that what was claimed to be a head butt by
Steven Macdonald was really a trip.
The case against Shaun Macleod was found not proven.
The other three men were found guilty at the end of the trial. Sentence was deferred
for background reports.