The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Duo jailed for numerous attacks on ‘drugs thief ’
Court: Victim beaten and threatened
Two Inverness brothers were each jailed for 22 months after admitting repeated attacks on a Glasgow man in April.
One of the pair wore an animal mask and brandished an axe in a separate incident in September last year.
The victim of the April attacks, Ryan Curran, was suspected of stealing drugs from Derek MacLeod, 40, while he was staying at his flat in Inverness on April 22.
MacLeod’s 41-year-old brother, Brian, described as an Inverness prisoner, was also involved in the assault in Friar’s Street, during which at one point, a knife was held to Mr Curran’s neck, causing a 6.5cm mark on his throat.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, the MacLeod brothers were each jailed after admitting, on indictment, a charge of assault to injury.
They had also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in an incident in Invergordon’s High Street on September 25 last year. Their sentences were backdated to April 25.
“He recalls being punched on his face by Brian MacLeod”
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Brian MacLeod wore an animal mask and brandished an axe as they repeatedly kicked on the door of an Easter Ross man’s home.
Mr Weir gave further details of the attack on Mr Curran and an assault on his companion, Sarah Wright.
He said the pair had travelled to Inverness on April 17 and stayed with Derek MacLeod two days later.
“At some point on Sunday, April 22, an argument ensued as Ryan Curran was suspected of stealing drugs.
“He recalls being punched on his face by Brian MacLeod, and then being punched, kicked and stamped on his hand several times by both MacLeods.
“He was pleading with them to stop. During the course of the day, he was subjected to numerous attacks by both men and can recall either Brian or Derek MacLeod holding a knife to the left side of his neck.” Mr Weir added that Mr Curran suffered multiple cuts and bruises.
On the same day, Mr Weir said the MacLeods’ co-accused, 35 year old Marsali Jack of Diriebught Court, Inverness, and 27 year old Michaela MacMillan of Friar’s Street, assaulted Miss Wright, who was also suspected of stealing Ms Jack’s methadone.
Both women admitted the assault to injury. Jack was jailed for 120 days and sentence was deferred until November 19 on MacMillan for a background report.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood was told by the solicitors for both MacLeods, Shahid Latif and David Patterson, that drugs had played a prominent role in their lives.