A decorated policeman and a Police Scotland colleague face assault charges over an alleged bust-up at an Angus nightclub.
Police Scotland employees Rodney Hamilton and Michael Woodburn face charges over the incident at DeVito’s in Arbroath’s Millgate on February 5 this year.
Hamilton, 45, is a serving officer in Tayside Division who received an award for bravery.
He faces one charge of assaulting Woodburn by seizing him by the genitals and pushing him.
The case against him was continued without plea at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday.
29-year-old Woodburn is accused of assaulting Hamilton, repeatedly striking his head with a forearm to his injury.
He has pled not guilty by letter to this charge and dates have been set for a trial at Forfar Sheriff Court in January.
It was alleged that a third Police Scotland employee, Steven Jenkins, 31, assaulted a fourth man, Andrew Hardie, by seizing hold of him, placing his arms around the man’s body and pulling him. This case did not call at the Angus court yesterday.
The addresses of the three men are listed in the court papers as c/o Police Headquarters in West Bell Street, Dundee. None of the Police Scotland employees appeared in court yesterday.
A police investigation was launched following reports of a disturbance at DeVito’s and at the time Police Scotland confirmed that several men were facing charges in relation to the incident.
Following the incident, a spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that…men have been charged in connection with a disturbance at a nightclub in Millgate, Arbroath, that happened in the early hours of Friday, February 5.
“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”
Hamilton received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for his bravery as one of four PCs who disarmed a knife attacker who had run into a Forfar crowd and taken a hostage on October 24 2010.
The case against Hamilton will next call on October 27 while the trial against Woodburn is due to start on January 23 next year.
