Thug attacked coach after disciplinary bid

Published 18 Feb 2010 09:27 0 Comments

By Rosalyn Campbell

AN amateur footballer who was kicked off his team sought revenge by attacking one of his coaches.

Gavin McLauchlan, 21, once a player with Johnstone Thistle, was thrown off the team after a disciplinary matter.

When he turned up for training on October 6 last year he was told the news - and seemed to take it well.

He returned to his car and it was believed that he was waiting there to give a friend a lift home.

But two hours later, McLauchlan approached four of the team's coaches as they left Gleniffer High School in Amochry Road, Paisley.

He viciously attacked one of the coaches by punching him on the face so hard that he fell to the ground.

As his victim lay trying to shield himself with his hands, McLauchlan carried on punching and kicking him - as others tried to pull him away.

Depute fiscal Margaret McCallum said: "He aimed a kick at his head but his foot struck [the victim] on the arm instead and he then struck him several times on the body."

Two of the coaches were finally able to drag McLauchlan off his 21-year-old victim, who was bleeding from a facial injury which was swollen.

The accused drove off in his car while the coach was helped to his feet and taken to the town's Royal Alexandra Hospital.

He was X-Rayed and found to have a broken cheekbone, and was told to return for further assessment to see if surgery might be required.

It was later decided to allow the injury to heal itself without intervention.

In court, McLauchlan, of School Wynd, Paisley, pleaded guilty to assaulting the other man in the manner described.

Sheriff Neil Douglas said that due to the nature of the offence, he would have to defer sentence and call for background reports and a community service assessment.

He ordered the accused to return to court on March 9 to learn his fate.

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This article appeared in The Gazette 17 Feb 10

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