A viral music star has been cleared of assaulting a man with a cut throat razor outside a Perth hairdressers.
Brendan MacFarlane, whose acoustic songs have racked up nearly 2.5 million views on YouTube, told a jury: “I sing country songs for a living. Why would I risk my career by doing something stupid?”
The 25-year-old went on trial at Perth Sheriff Court, accused of using a knife and a razor during a confrontation on the city’s St Leonard Bridge.
The clash outside the Fade Room salon was caught on camera.
Mr MacFarlane denied allegations he behaved in a threatening or abusive way on June 10, 2021, by shouting and engaging in a stand-up fight with rival Chad Netherington.
It was further alleged he assaulted Mr Netherington while in possession of the knife and razor, by repeatedly trying to strike him with the blade and spitting at him.
Mr MacFarlane told his trial he was acting in self-defence, after Mr Netherington had first threatened him with a lock-knife.
Jurors took less than 40 minutes to find him not guilty.
‘Tried to escape’
Mr MacFarlane, who was jailed in December for possession of a stun gun, told the court he had known Mr Netherington for about a year, but the relationship with him was “poor”.
He said on the afternoon of June 10, he went to get his hair cut.
Mr Netherington came running in while he was sat in the chair, Mr MacFarlane said.
“He had a lock bag in his hand,” he said. “Like a fishing knife.
“You could tell he wasn’t there to get his hair cut.”
Mr MacFarlane told the jury Mr Netherington said something like: “I’m going to cut your throat”.
“As soon as I heard him, I jumped up and turned around,” Mr MacFarlane said.
“I was telling him to eff off. I was telling him to put the knife down, and we can discuss things.”
The singer said: “I was s****ing myself. I didn’t want to get stabbed, I was trying to escape.”
Altercation caught on camera
Mr MacFarlane told the jury that Mr Netherington eventually left the shop and got into his car.
But, he said, he drove just a few meters along the street, before stopping and returning to the salon.
Solicitor David Duncan asked: “When he came back out of his car, did you still see the lock bag?”
Mr MacFarlane said: “Yes, it was in his waistband.”
He said he was handed the knife by a person in the shop, and he picked the cut-throat razor off the floor.
The altercation spilled out onto the street and was filmed by Mr Netherington’s girlfriend.
“I couldn’t run,” said Mr MacFarlane. “Every time I tried to leave, he was running towards me.”
He said he tried to defend himself, but insisted he never touched Mr Netherington.
Mr MacFarlane, whose address was listed as Easdale, Oban, was 11 when his versions of gospel and country standards went viral on social media.
He shot to fame after an appearance on the Maury Povich show in the US.
His plans to relocate to America to pursue his music career were derailed by a bitter legal battle between his parents.
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