

Galashiels man jailed for assaults
Michael Brown was found guilty of both offences in October 2022 following a four day jury trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
He was found guilty of repeatedly punching Rory Middlemiss on the face at a house in Stirling Place on October 5 and striking him on the head with a piece of wood to his severe injury.
Brown was also convicted of choking Darren Richardson at a flat in Gala Park on October 22 and repeatedly striking him on the head and body with his fists, striking his head against a toilet and slashing him on the face with a knife to his injury and permanent disfigurement.
He received jail sentences of 18 months and 24 months which will run consecutively.
Brown, formerly of Hawick but who was described as a prisoner at Addiewell, had pleaded guilty prior to the trial to a third charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Hawick Police Station on October 23 by acting aggressively, shouting and swearing and using homophobic epithets towards staff for which he received a six month jail sentence.
Sheriff Peter Paterson said the six months would run concurrently with the 42 months jail sentence.
The sentence was back-dated to October 24, 2022, when Brown was first remanded in custody in connection with the case.