Woman ‘hit by exin car’
21-year-old denies endangering lives
The ex-girlfriend of a Hamilton man ended up on the bonnet of his car as he drove it at her in a Whitehill street, a court heard this week.
Jordan Murdoch, of Kenmar Road, is accused of assaulting Nicole Downie (19) and her friend 23-year-old Claire Johnson at Whistleberry Crescent.
The ex-girlfriend of a Hamilton man ended up on the bonnet of his car as he drove it at her in a Whitehill street, a court heard this week.
Jordan Murdoch, of Kenmar Road, is accused of assaulting Nicole Downie (19) and her friend 23-year-old Claire Johnson at Whistleberry Crescent on March 5 last year.
Murdoch allegedly drove directly towards the women, causing Ms Downie to be thrown on to the bonnet of the car before falling off and on to the ground.
The 21-year-old pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault to the danger of the lives of Nicole Downie and Claire Johnson at the outset of the trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday.
He appeared in the dock alongside his sister Deanna Smith, also of Kenmar Road, the partner of a third accused Joseph Barghati (28), of Dykehead Square.
Witness Ms Johnson told Hamilton Sheriff Court on Tuesday that she lived in Whistleberry Crescent with her mother Maureen.
Questioned by fiscal depute Imran Bashir on Monday, the second day of the trial, Ms Johnson told the court she had been in a relationship with Daryl Strachan, also of Whistleberry Crescent, for just over a year.
Before that she had been in a relationship with Jordan Murdoch who, she said, lived with his grandmother in Whistleberry Crescent.
That night she had been drinking outside in the company of friends from Whitehill – Nicole Downie, Lauren Mcgowan, Natasha Strachan and Daryl Strachan.
She returned to Whistleberry Crescent and to Daryl Strachan’s home with friends and described her condition as “a good bit drunk”.
Ms Johnson recalled leaving Daryl Strachan’s house and seeing Joseph Barghati walking up the street “straight for me” from the direction of Jordan Murdoch’s gran’s house.
She explained that she knew Joseph Barghati through Jordan Murdoch. Barghati was in a relationship with the third accused, Deanna Smith, Murdoch’s sister.
While standing in the street outside Daryl Strachan’s house with Nicole Downie near the kerb, she said she saw a red Corsa being driven by Jordan Murdoch.
He drove to the end of the street, reversed, and came towards her and Nicole Downie.
Asked by Mr Bashir what she did when the car approached, Ms Johnson replied she jumped out the way and on to the kerb.
But Nicole Downie, she said, ended up on top of the car bonnet.
Mr Bashir asked the witness what speed Jordan Murdoch was travelling at. She replied: “Not that fast”.
She estimated her friend had been on the bonnet for a distance of about 10ft before she fell off.
While Ms Downie was on the bonnet Ms Johnson said she hit the Corsa with a bottle. Jordan Murdoch drove off following the incident, she said.
Nicole Downie was screaming, she said, and could not move.
Meanwhile, Barghati had “something” in his hand which she was unable to describe. She said she ran towards Barghati who hit her with whatever he had in his hand on the left side of her face.
Ms Johnson also recalled that she and Deanna Smith had each other by the hair while in the middle of the street.
She said she ended up on the ground with her mother Maureen leaning over her as Barghati was hitting her. Barghati was jumping on her legs, she said.
Daryl Strachan, she thought, was lying unconscious on the ground nearby.
Somebody picked her up and took her into Daryl’s house. Daryl was picked up by his dad, she said.
Barghati and Murdoch also deny assaulting Daryl Strachan with a baseball bat to his injury and Barghati and Smith deny assaulting Claire Johnson with a baseball bat or bottle.
Murdoch lodged a special defence of self defence stating that he had been hit by Daryl Strachan. Smith also claimed she had been acting in self defence having been attacked by Claire Johnson.
Barghati further denies a charge of assaulting Ms Johnson’s friend Lauren Mcgowan by hitting her with a bottle.
The trio each denied charges of possessing offensive weapons. The trial before Sheriff Thomas Millar was continuing yesterday (Wednesday).
While standing in the street Nicole Downie said she saw a red Corsa coming towards her