RANGERS footballer Ian Durrant was fined #200 at Glasgow Sheriff Court
yesterday after he admitted singing sectarian songs and committing a
breach of the peace.
Fellow Rangers player Derek Ferguson, 21, opted to go to trial and was
found not guilty after Sheriff Gerald Gordon, QC, described the police
evidence as a shambles.
Ferguson, of Strathview Road, Bellshill, had denied shouting, swearing
and breach of the peace in trying to tell police to let Durrant go.
In the dock with the two footballers were Edward McLaughlin, 35, a
publican of Kirkinner Road, Mount Vernon; David Currie, 31, of Mosspark
Drive, Cardonald, and Donald Boyce, 17, of Craigiehall Place, Ibrox, all
Glasgow.
McLaughlin admitted breach of the peace and damaging a car and Boyce
admitted breach of the peace and using insulting and racist language in
the incident on May 4 at Paisley Road Toll, Glasgow.
Sheriff Gordon fined McLaughlin #250 and ordered him to pay a further
#170 for damaging a car. He fined Boyce #100.
Currie, who went on trial accused of attempting to rescue Ferguson
from police custody, was found not guilty.
Mrs Lesley Thomson, prosecuting, said an Iranian student and four
women in their twenties went into a Turkish kebab shop about 1am and
were alarmed at the behaviour of the accused. The women could hear
sectarian songs with references to Rangers and numerous insulting
remarks about the Pope.
As a result one woman approached the men and said something to Durrant
along the lines of: ''David Holmes (former Rangers chairman) will not be
pleased to hear about this.''
Mrs Thomson said that Durrant, 23, of Silverwood Court, Langside,
Glasgow, told the woman: ''Who do you think you are?'' and then called
her ''a fat cow.'' The Iranian student was treated to a barrage of
insulting remarks including: ''You're a black bastard'' and the group
became so alarmed they made for their car outside.
The court was told of an incident in which McLaughlin and Boyce spat
out mouthfuls of beer and McLaughlin kicked the car door before police
arrived.
Defending lawyer Mr John Costello said Durrant was still in heavy
plaster that night from a horrific injury the previous October. ''He had
been out drinking with his friends, was in high spirits, but is now very
remorseful about having got involved,'' he said.
Mr Costello said remarks were directed at the accused who was a first
offender and unlikely ever to appear in court again. ''This was a single
aberration perhaps brought on by the fact he has been out of action for
some time for if he had still been playing it is extremely unlikely he
would have been out at that early hour.''
The court then heard evidence against Ferguson and Currie, alleging
that the player swore at police and told them Durrant had done nothing
wrong. He ignored three warnings to stop, it was alleged, and when he
was being put in the police van, Currie tried to pull him away.
At the close of the prosecution case Sheriff Gordon said the police
evidence was a shambles. He added that he thought the memories of the
officers should have been better since the incident happened only in
May.
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