Nwicker60
28-Apr-15, 18:56
Solicitor gets arm-locked to show court how it happened
CAITHNESS solicitor Fiona MacDonald found her herself in an armlock in court, today ....at her own request!
She had asked prison escort officer Thomas Brown to demostrate to the jury the manoeuvre he was attempting, to restrain prisoner Dominic Long, 19, in the holding cells below Wick Sheriff Court, on December 29, last year.
Mr Brown stepped from the witness box for the armlock demonstration,and went on to claim that as he was doing so, Long headbutted him.
Mr Brown told the court that Long, whose home is in Ormlie Road, Thurso, was reluctant to be handcuffed and escorted to the G4S van for the trip south to prison.
He alleged that Long became aggressive and was "screaming and shouting" and flailing his his arms, to such an extent that he decided that the best course of action was to put the struggling accused back in the cell which he succeeded to do with the assistance of a fellow officer.
However, his colleague, Dawn Alsopp told the court that she didn't see him being headbutted.
Ms MacDonald made a submission that there was no case to answer and Long was formally found not guilty by Sheriff Andrew Berry. He had earlier denied a charge of assault, on indictment.
CAITHNESS solicitor Fiona MacDonald found her herself in an armlock in court, today ....at her own request!
She had asked prison escort officer Thomas Brown to demostrate to the jury the manoeuvre he was attempting, to restrain prisoner Dominic Long, 19, in the holding cells below Wick Sheriff Court, on December 29, last year.
Mr Brown stepped from the witness box for the armlock demonstration,and went on to claim that as he was doing so, Long headbutted him.
Mr Brown told the court that Long, whose home is in Ormlie Road, Thurso, was reluctant to be handcuffed and escorted to the G4S van for the trip south to prison.
He alleged that Long became aggressive and was "screaming and shouting" and flailing his his arms, to such an extent that he decided that the best course of action was to put the struggling accused back in the cell which he succeeded to do with the assistance of a fellow officer.
However, his colleague, Dawn Alsopp told the court that she didn't see him being headbutted.
Ms MacDonald made a submission that there was no case to answer and Long was formally found not guilty by Sheriff Andrew Berry. He had earlier denied a charge of assault, on indictment.