Group accused of causing fracas after Old Firm game

Nine people are to face trial accused of forming part of a disorderly crowd at a house in Bridge of Allan on the night of the Old Firm derby in September.

Cameron MacKenzie, 19, Brandon Meiklejohn and Daniel Kawecki, both 20, together with a 17-year-old girl, four 17-year-old boys, and a 16-year-old boy, are accused of acting together and forming part of a crowd which pelted police with bottles and furniture in the alleged incident on September 10.

It is alleged that members of the crowd shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence, challenged police to fight, and attempted to prevent police from entering the house in Orchard Road.

MacKenzie and Kawecki, both from Bridge of Allan, Meiklejohn, from Stirling, together with one of the 17-year-old boys, are alleged to have struggled and fought with police, while MacKenzie is alleged to have assaulted a police sergeant by punching him on the head and Meiklejohn a police constable by kicking him on the body.

Two of the 17-year-old males are also accused of police assault.

For legal reasons, none of the under-18s allegedly involved can be named. At Stirling Sheriff Court yesterday (Tuesday) all nine maintained pleas of not guilty to the charges.

As they struggled to squash into the dock, Sheriff Christopher Shead asked if the Crown had considered prosecuting the accused in smaller groups.

Prosecutor Lindsey Brooks said there were potentially seven police witnesses, and the prospect of citing them all for a number of different trials“wasn’t particularly appealing”.

Sheriff Shead continued the case for trial on January 16 and continued bail for all the accused.