Cop felt she was ‘fighting for her life’ when trouble erupted at birthday party
A birthday bash at Fir Park Stadium ended in violence with revellers brawling on the floor.
One police officer claimed she was “fighting for her life” as she tried to subdue one of the aggressors, Gary Fernon.
Fernon, 33, of Fraser Street, Cleland, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
He was arrested when trouble broke out at the stadium’s Davie Cooper Suite during a 30th birthday party in July 2017.
Fe r n o n d e n i e d any wrongdoing, but was found guilty of police assault, resisting arrest and threatening or abusive behaviour.
The court heard police officers were called to the stadium in the early hours of the morning.
PC Linda Wood, 42, said two men - one of whom was Fernon - were fighting and Fernon punched her as she and a colleague tried to split them.
She told the court: “I ended up on the floor and was lying on top of Fernon, just praying to God that back-up would come quickly.
“He was wrestling with me and screaming in my ear that he was going to knock me out.
“He was making other comments which were vile and scary. It felt like a lifetime that we were on the floor, but it would have been only a couple of minutes.
“I was just trying my hardest to keep hold of Fernon until other colleagues arrived. “He was going mental. “In my opinion, I was fighting for my life.”
The court was told that six officers struggled to contain Fernon before he was put in the police van. Fernon denied fighting and claimed he was arrested for no reason.
He told the court he had a pin in his ankle after a motorbike crash and pleaded with the officers to be careful.
He claimed that when he pointed out which leg he had injured one cop deliberately twisted his ankle, causing the pin to snap.
Police witnesses denied this and also that he had been tossed head first into their van.
A defence claim that officers high-fived each other after finally subduing the arrested man was also rejected by police witnesses.
After the guilty verdicts, lawyer Stephen Macbride suggested to Sheriff Shiona Waldron that “on a margin” a non-custodial sentence could be imposed.
The sheriff agreed and opted for a 12- month community payback order with supervision.
She told Fernon: “You have a long criminal record and this sentence is an alternative to custody.
“The purpose of the order is to try to stop you offending.”
Fernon was also handed a nine-week electronic tagging order which means he can’t leave the house between 7pm and 7am each day.