Drunken offshore worker who battered train passenger fined

A drunken offshore worker punched a train passenger in the face and demanded to know where his missing luggage was – until his stunned victim pointed it out on a nearby seat.

Gavin Low had been drinking on the journey up to Aberdeen and wrongly thought that the man, who had been sitting on a luggage rack, had taken his luggage.

The 51-year-old first offender threw the man across a table, tried to choke him and repeatedly punched him in the face.

The terrifying attack only came to a halt when the man pointed to a nearby seat and asked: “Is that your bag?”

Low nodded and let the man go.

Fiscal depute Kiril Bonavino told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “CCTV on the train showed the accused behaving in a threatening, violent and disorderly manner, assaulting a witness in an unprovoked attack, grabbing him by the throat and repeatedly punching him to the head and body.”

He explained the complainer had been sitting at the luggage rack at the rear of the coach when Low started asking him “have you seen my luggage? Have you got my luggage?”.

Low then grabbed the man by the collar of his jacket with both hands and began shaking him violently before punching him in the face.

Mr Bonavino said: “The accused pulled the witness off the luggage rack, threw him across a table and grabbed him by the throat trying to choke him.” Low shouted: “Where did you put my s***?”

A member of staff on the train tried to restrain Low, but he continued to pin the complainer to the table, grabbing his hair and punching him to the head.

Mr Bonavino said: “The incident ceased when the witness pointed to a bag on the next seat and asked ‘is that your bag?’.”

Low, of Roselea, Preston, pled guilty to a charge of assault.

Defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt said his client had been heading to Aberdeen for his work in the oil industry.

He said: “He’s not a man who drinks regularly, however, on this occasion he had drunk alcohol on the train and quite clearly he had drunk far too much alcohol, to the extent he remembers nothing of this incident.

“Mr Low is a man who has never been in any trouble before.

“It’s fair to say he was horrified to learn of his behaviour.

“Clearly it’s appropriate to describe this extraordinary behaviour as being entirely out of character.”

Mr Woodward-Nutt had abstained from alcohol since the incident and had also sought medical assistance and advice over his drinking.

He added was “deeply sorry” for his behaviour and felt “shame” about appearing in court over it.

Sheriff Lesley Johnston fined Low £420.

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Low had travelled by train to Aberdeen for work.