Jail for yob who attacked his pal

Victim had an 11cm wound to his head

A thug who cut his friend on the head with a bike tool during an attack in a Motherwell street has been jailed.

John Paul Gillon admitted attacking Daryl Reid to his severe injury in the town’s Oakfield Road on June 22 this year.

The 33-year-old had carried out the attack while on bail on another matter.

Fiscal depute Imran Bashir told Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday that Mr Reid met Gillon, who was on a mountain bike, and Mark Mcguire in Motherwell town centre at 2pm that day.

All three, added Mr Bashir, were friends and made their way from the town centre to Watsonville Park.

CCTV evidence showed that the men appeared to be chatting in a friendly manner until they reached Oakfield Road where Gillon slashed Mr Reid on the head with an unknown implement.

Gillon and Mark Mcguire made their way off in the direction of Airbles Road with the accused on the bike and Mr Mcguire running down the street.

Mr Reid then used his jumper to staunch the flow of blood from his head.

Mr Bashir said the victim returned to his home in a taxi. When officers attended there Mr Reid refused to provide a statement.

However, officers obtained footage of the incident.

Mr Reid was taken to Wishaw General Hospital where an 11cm wound to his head was stitched.

Officers, said the fiscal depute, obtained a warrant for Gillon’s address and he was detained in relation to the matter on July 4. Mr Mcguire, he added, was “reluctant to assist.”

Gillon’s lawyer Diarmid Bruce, said the accused and Mr Mcguire had been fixing the bike with an implement which had an Allen key and screwdriver attached.

Mr Bruce said his client had been smoking heroin and had sought help for this before the incident – although he stressed that the attack had not occurred due to Gillon’s drug use.

The solicitor added that Gillon had no difficulty with Mr Reid and was sorry he had carried out the assault.

There had been a disagreement, he said, and Gillon “lashed out.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar told Gillon a custodial term was inevitable given the nature of the offence and his previous convictions which included assault and assault and robbery.

He jailed Gillon for 18 months backdated to July 5.

CCTV evidence showed that the men appeared to be chatting in a friendly manner until they reached Oakfield Rd