Former Dundee FC owner Jimmy Marr walked free from court today after being found not guilty of assaulting a 75-year-old woman.
Marr was charged with throwing two drinks over the elderly woman and punching her husband and head butting her friend when they intervened.
The incident was alleged to have happened at a pub owned by Marr’s company, High Corner Bar, on Kinghorn Road, on May 30 last year.
Today at court Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said too much of the evidence did “not fit together” and therefore found Marr not guilty.
Margaret Morrell, 75, told the trial the incident happened at a charity night being held in the pub in aid of Macmillan cancer nurses.
She said Marr’s wife, Karen, had gone to stand on their table to dance and was spilling wine from a glass she was holding over them.
Mrs Morrell said she asked Mrs Marr to stop and Marr said “She can do what she wants, it’s my pub”.
She said Marr then threw a drink over her and told her to “get out” before throwing another drink over her.
Mrs Morrell’s husband Patrick, 65, who also gave evidence at the trial, said he intervened and was punched by Marr, causing him to fall to the ground.
William Dunn, 60, a friend of the Morrells, also gave evidence saying he too tried to intervene and was head butted by Marr.
Marr, 55, of South Drive, Liff, denied three charges and disputed their claims during trial.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Marr said he had gone to the pub to support the fundraiser.
He said he had intervened when one of the men had pushed his wife’s leg as she went on a table to dance.
Marr denied pouring the drinks or attacking the two men, saying he “went to over to see if she was ok”.
He said: “One of them said it was out of order and got aggressive and went to head me.
“I grabbed him, birled him round and put him out.
“There was then a lot of pushing and shoving and I ended up on the floor.”
Solicitor Jim Laverty, defending, said: “The allegation is that he acted like a common thug and in my submission this is not the way in which he behaves.
“He went to the charity event out of duty, having been elsewhere.
“He gave evidence of having consumed only half a bottle of wine. Other Crown witnesses had been there around four hours, which could affect their perception of events and recollection of what happened.”
Mr Laverty added that Marr gave his evidence in a “coherent and fluent” manner.
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