Bouncer guilty of headbutting judge's son

Published on Saturday 22 December 2007 10:43

A DOORMAN at an Edinburgh nightclub head-butted the son of a High Court judge, breaking his nose and damaging his teeth.

Rhys Ferguson, 26, of Logie Drive, Larbert, was found guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in October of assaulting 22-year old Jamie Menzies – son of High Court judge Lord Menzies – in Hanover Street on March 24 last year.

He has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.

Sheriff Kenneth Hogg said: "The public certainly do not expect to be abused in this manner."

The Sheriff also told Ferguson that he was instructing the clerk of court to write to the authorities "to ensure he never worked in this type of industry again".

During the trial the court heard that Mr Menzies' younger brother, Ruaraidh, who was 17 at the time of the incident, had been refused entry to Garibaldi's night club. Jamie had come out to see what was happening, but when he tried to re-enter the premises he was refused admission by Ferguson. He was then butted in the face by the steward.

In his evidence, Ferguson said when he refused to let Mr Menzies back into the club, his victim lunged towards him and there was an accidental collision of heads. Mr Menzies, he said, told him: "Do you know who my father is? You will get 12 years for this."