A man was repeatedly struck in the head with a glass deodorant bottle by a drunk spilling booze inside his car in Dunfermline.
Ross Keir, 33, had claimed during a trial he was the victim of an assault during an altercation with Christopher Marchetti in the city’s Beath Avenue, Touch, on May 27 2020.
However, a jury found Keir guilty of the bottling offence following three days of evidence at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
In her closing submissions, procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus said victim Mr Marchetti’s evidence was that an “inebriated” Keir came over to his car asking for a party and was spilling alcohol on and inside the vehicle.
‘Shiny thing’ sticking from victim’s head
The fiscal depute said: “Mr Marchetti got out and Ross Keir started to touch his face and then threatens to stab him.
“Ross Keir then repeatedly struck Mr Marchetti with a glass men’s deodorant bottle, and struck him so many times that ultimately it broke on his head.
“Mr Marchetti said this broken bottle was stabbed into the back of his head as he tried to walk away.”
A witness told the trial they had seen two males covered in blood and wrestling with each other, while another saw a “shiny thing”, which they thought could have been glass, coming from the back of one man’s head.
The fiscal depute also referred to evidence given during the trial by professor Anthony Busutill, an expert in causes of injury or death, who said Mr Marchetti’s account of being hit on the head was consistent with the injuries detailed in his medical notes.
Keir was found guilty of assaulting Mr Marchetti by repeatedly striking him on the head with a glass bottle, pursuing him, struggling with him and attempting to punch him and threatening him with violence to his severe injury.
Remanded
Following the majority guilty verdict, Sheriff Charles Macnair told Keir: “You have a previous conviction on indictment for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement in 2017.
“You have now been convicted of assault to severe injury.
“Bail is refused and you will be remanded in custody.”
Sheriff Macnair adjourned sentencing until June 22 for the production of background reports.
Keir, of Dunfermline’s Law Road, was found not guilty of a second allegation that he struck another man with a hammer and repeatedly punched him in the city’s Henryson Road road in August 2020.
He was also cleared of possessing a hammer on this occasion.
Sheriff Macnair added: “He (Keir) has convictions for possession of an offensive weapon, which by coincidence is a hammer, despite his evidence he never carries one.”
