Man placed on curfew after ‘cowardly act’ in Gala pub

Twenty-five-year-old Callum Ross pleaded guilty to punching Mark Adamson on the head in Reivers Bar on July 25 last year, causing him to fall to the ground losing consciousness and while he was lying there punching him again to the head to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

Depute fiscal Miriam Clark told a previous hearing that at around 6.45pm the accused and his partner entered Reivers Bar and were sitting in the beer garden.

She continued: “One hour later an unknown male, Mark Adamson, joined the group and attempted to make conversation.”

She said when Ross got up to buy drinks, Mr Adamson pushed him to the ground. Ross punched him to the head, knocking him to the ground and punched him again when he was lying on the ground.”

Ross and his partner left the scene, leaving his victim out cold.

At hospital, it was found Adamson had a bleed to the brain and had lost two teeth.

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said the incident had been started by the victim but admitted his client had “crossed the line” and he could not rely on a defence of self-defence.

The court heard that Ross had now moved from Galashiels and was living in Doncaster.

Sheriff Peter Paterson accepted that Ross had been assaulted first but he could not escape the fact that Ross had punched the man to the head while he was lying on the ground which he described as a “cowardly act”.

He imposed a Restriction of Liberty Order at his new home in Doncaster for the next 20 weeks between the hours of 7pm and 5am as a direct alternative to custody.