A GLASGOW Warriors rugby player punched another player in the face on a Halloween night out, a court has heard.

 

The jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court was told Ryan Wilson, 25, assaulted Glasgow Hawk Ally Maclay while dressed up as Batman.

Witness and fellow Hawk Fraser Hasting was at Barbeque Kings fast food restaurant in the city's west end on October 27, 2013 and claimed to see the alleged assault. He said it happened after a "ruckus" in the takeaway, following which Mr Maclay said to Mr Wilson: "Leave it, Batman."

He said Mr Maclay fell after being punched and that he was then surrounded by people including Mr Wilson and other Warriors players Ryan Grant, 29, and Rory Hughes, 21.

Mr Hasting said his team mate was then seen dazed, with a swollen eye and blood on his face.

The 20-year-old was giving evidence in the trial of the three Warriors players Mr Wilson, Mr Grant and Mr Hughes.

They are accused of, whilst acting together, assaulting Mr McLay at the food joint on Great Western Road.

It is alleged Mr Grant, from Hyndland, Glasgow, with Wilson and Hughes, punched him on the face, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him on the face and body to his severe injury.

Mr Wilson, from Bearsden, Glasgow is accused of assaulting Gavin Quinn at the same place on the same day, by taking hold of his clothing, pulling him from a chair and placing his head in a head lock and struggling with him.

He faces another charge of assaulting Mr Quinn, along with Mr Hughes, from King's Park, Glasgow by repeatedly punching him on the head.

Mr Hasting told the court he had been at a night out in Viper in the city's west end, for Halloween with other rugby players and had gone into Barbeque Kings around 2am.

He claimed that he was dressed as a minion - a character from an animated film - and while in the takeaway heard a "ruckus" and a "thump".

Mr Hasting said that he saw a man called Gavin Quinn on the floor and Mr Wilson standing beside him looking down in his direction.

Procurator fiscal depute Alastair Youngson asked: "Could you tell us what Ryan Wilson was dressed as, if anything?"

The witness replied: "I think he was dressed as Batman."

The court heard Mr Quinn got up from the floor and that there was "grabbing and pushing" between him and Mr Wilson.

It was heard that Mr Wilson then joined the queue for food and made small talk with Mr Hasting.

Mr Hastings told how Mr Maclay came in to the restaurant and hugged Mr Quinn.

He claimed Mr Maclay then walked over to Mr Wilson and said "Leave it, Batman."

Mr Youngson asked the witness for his comment if it was suggested to him that Mr Maclay was looking for trouble.

Mr Hasting replied: "If Ally was looking for trouble? Definitely not."

Asked what the response to the comment was he said: "The response to that was Ryan Wilson obviously took exception to what was said and threw a punch in Ally's direction which hit him in the face."

He added: "Ally then staggered back and fell over with the momentum of the hit he received, as he fell he went to grab something to keep his balance in which I believe he grabbed hold of Gav and Ally Maclay fell to the ground in the corner of the restaurant."

Mr Hasting told the court that Mr Wilson went over to Mr Maclay and others including Mr Grant - who was dressed as Bain, from Batman - and Mr Hughes were in the same area of the restaurant.

The witness said that he saw Mr Maclay on the floor in the corner of the restaurant.

He said: "His eye had swollen very badly in which he couldn't see out of it, it had closed completely over.

"There was blood on his face."

The court was shown CCTV footage of part of the incident and the witness was asked to comment on what he saw.

He said Mr Wilson pulled Mr Quinn from the chair he was sitting at and that was what the thump was that he heard.

The three accused deny the charges and Mr Wilson has lodged a special defence of self-defence on a charge of assaulting Mr Quinn.

The trial before sheriff Martin Jones QC continues.