Man who had chunk of his ear bitten off shares dock with attacker

A Stonehouse mechanic who had a chunk of his ear bitten off in a street brawl shared the dock with his attacker.

Greg Griffin had hit Mark Reid with a pole before Reid bit him in retaliation.

The pair sat feet apart in the dock at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Griffin, 27, of Todstable Gardens, Stonehouse, was found guilty of assaulting Reid, 36, of the town’s Avon View, with the pole.

Reid admitted biting Griffin to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement while acting under provocation.

The trouble happened in Violet Crescent and Glenburn Avenue, Stonehouse, in December 2019.

Defence agent Stephen Macbride acknowledged Griffin has previous convictions for violent behaviour, but pointed out there had been a 10-year gap before the latest incident.

Jackson Bateman, defending Reid, said he was a first offender and a criminal justice social work report was “positive”.

Sheriff Allan Mckay told the men their behaviour had been “unacceptable” and suggested alcohol was at the root of it.

He said it appeared from his record that Griffin has “a violent streak” in him.

This latest incident happened because he ignored his girlfriend’s pleas and left the house to confront Reid with a weapon.

The sheriff was willing “on a margin” to impose an alternative to custody - a sixmonth electronic tagging order.

Addressing Reid, Sheriff Mckay said: “This is a very serious charge, but it’s accepted there was provocation and the circumstances are exceptional.

“You have a flawless background and I hope this has been an aberration.”

Reid was fined £940, payable at £100 per month.