Man who battered fellow bus passenger with bottle avoids prison sentence
A man who battered a fellow bus passenger on the head with a bottle has avoided a prison sentence.
Allan Craigie told police he lashed out because the man punched him, adding: "I bottled him. I was defending myself."
Craigie, 47, formerly of Lorne Street, Hamilton, admitted assaulting the 42-year-old under provocation.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard it happened on a First Bus in the town's High Blantyre Road about 5.30pm on September 17 last year.
Craigie, who now lives in Ayrshire, was placed under social work supervision for a year.
He will be confined to his home at night under a three-month electronic tagging order.
Rosemary O'Neill, prosecuting, said: "Craigie got on the bus in Airdrie. The victim boarded in Motherwell and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
"The driver heard a commotion and looked in his mirror. It appears the man threw the first punch and the accused responded.
"The driver stopped the bus and told the men to get off, but Craigie struck the victim several times on the head with a glass bottle.
READ MORE: Cops found fingerprints of Craigneuk men were on heroin haul in woodland
"He then kicked the man, who fell to the floor, and continued to assault him by standing on his shoulder. The driver then called 999."
The victim was taken to hospital where cuts to his head and above his eye were treated.
Questioned by police officers, Craigie said: "I did f*** all apart from hitting him with a bottle. I was defending myself.
"He thinks he's a hard man. You f****** p****, that's what you get."
Defence lawyer Nigel Scullion insisted it was very close to self-defence.
READ MORE: Police found heroin worth £11,000 when they stopped driver on Lanarkshire motorway
He stated: "It may be a case of just going over the score.
"The reason he was standing on the man's shoulder was that the man was trying to get at him again and my client was attempting to keep him on the floor."
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
READ MORE: Callous bogus workman jailed for targeting elderly women in their homes