Facing US trial, high f lier ‘who attacked love cheat girlfriend’
Medical student charged
A HIGH-flying Scots medical student is facing trial in the US amid claims he attacked his girlfriend and fired a gun after finding another man in her bedroom.
Tony Boyd, 23, had travelled to Wisconsin to help partner Sophie Kelly settle into a new life as a veterinary surgeon.
But he took a taxi to the 25-year-old’s apartment only to find her hiding in the bedroom with another man, Stephen Mayer.
He flew into a rage and has been charged with attacking Mr Mayer and chasing him and Miss Kelly from the flat in the city of New Berlin in the early hours of August 11.
It is claimed he then found a handgun in Mr Mayer’s bag and fired one shot.
The final year Glasgow University student, now on bail in Scotland, is facing trial in the US for assault, criminal damage and firing the handgun.
But last night he claimed he never attacked Miss Kelly, originally from Dalgety Bay, Fife, and said he fired the Smith & Wesson handgun by accident.
Mr Boyd, from Troon, Ayrshire, said: ‘I caught my girlfriend in bed with another guy, threw punches at him and chased him out of the apartment.
‘She ran away with him and at this point I was standing at the apartment and I was absolutely distraught.
‘I took his bag out the back and started emptying it and lo and behold there was a firearm. I pulled it out, a bullet goes off into the distance in front of me.
‘At this point there was nobody there apart from myself. There were no gun shots fired at anyone, there was no intention of firing gun shots at anyone. On paper it looks terrible, especially if you look at the police reports, but in real life I caught my girlfriend in bed with another guy.
‘She is trying to press charges that I had physical contact with her but that completely didn’t happen.’
Court documents allege the attack started at 3.45am after Miss Kelly’s co-worker Stephen Mayer came round and sat chatting to her on the sofa.
At 4am she received a text from her boyfriend saying: ‘I know what you did.’
Miss Kelly locked all the doors, but the pair claim they ran to the bedroom shortly afterwards when they heard loud crashing coming from the garage.
It is claimed Mr Boyd, who had drunk three vodkas in bars, then got in and pinned his love rival behind the door, punching him six times in the head and chest before chasing him out of the flat. He returned to find Miss Kelly locked in the bathroom, it is said.
Court documents said: ‘The defendant kicked the wooden bathroom door open and struck Kelly two times in the head.’ After escaping she hid in the bushes and, as she called the police, heard a gunshot from Mr Mayer’s 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun.
Miss Kelly, who had moved to the States for a job as a veterinary surgeon a few months before the alleged attack, met Mr Mayer working at the Milwaukee Emer- gency Centre for Animals, where he is a supervisor.
Miss Kelly, who is now thought to be a permanent US resident, told the Daily Record: ‘He attacked me and a friend of mine and fired a gun at us. He was arrested and put in jail.’
Mr Boyd denies all charges but told police he forced the door to because he was ‘angry’ and hit Mr Mayer four times.
Paul Bucher, Mr Boyd’s attorney in Wisconsin, said his client regretted what he called an ‘alcoholfuelled dispute’.
Mr Boyd first appeared in court in Wisconsin on August 14, when he entered not guilty pleas.
A further hearing was set for March next year.
He has been banned from drinking and making contact with his now ex-girlfriend.
‘Alcohol-fuelled dispute’