Man is cleared over street machete ‘attack’

Altercation ensued that saw the pair punch and kick one another

A man has been cleared of claims he butchered a man with a machete.

Raymond Docherty, 24, was accused of repeatedly hacking David “Mick” Kennedy with a weapon during an incident at High Street, Johnstone.

Mr Docherty stood trial at Paisley Sheriff Court following a clash which took place on June 22.

The court heard that Mr Docherty was spotted with a machete in the close moments before Kennedy was seen leaving the building “covered in blood.”

But he insisted he had done nothing wrong – and only fought with Mr Kennedy after being struck by his alleged victim.

Giving evidence he said he had been speaking to a 17-year-old girl, who can’t be named for legal reasons, after drinking Buckfast and smoking cannabis on the day in question.

He said: “I think he thought I was trying to fire in to her. He said, ‘you want to go for it?’

“I said: ‘No, Mick, you’re my pal, man. I don’t want to fight with you.’

“He wasn’t my pal but I said that just to try and stop it.”

The accused added: “Mick slapped us. The two of us started fighting, we were punching each other.

“I punched him and I hurt my hand, then he speared me up the stairs. “I just felt kicks coming from all ways. “It was other people. I just felt all the blood coming over me. “I was pure hot with all the blood.” He also told the court he had been kicked by a number of unidentified males during the fight.

However, after four days of evidence, the jury took just nine minutes to find the single charge against Docherty not proven, and he was handed an acquittal.

Mr Docherty of Macdowall Street, Johnstone, was told he was free to leave the court.