Glasgow Warrior dressed as Batman ‘punched player’

Three Glasgow Warriors players stand accused of committing assault in 2013. Picture: SNS

The jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court was told Ryan Wilson, 25, assaulted Glasgow Hawk Ally Maclay when he said to him: “Leave it, Batman”.

Witness and fellow Hawk Fraser Hasting was at the Barbeque Kings takeaway in Glasgow on 27 October, 2013, and claimed to see the alleged assault.

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

Mr Hasting said his teammate was later dazed, with a swollen eye and blood on his face.

The 20-year-old was giving evidence in the trial of Wilson, Grant and Hughes. They are accused of, whilst acting together, assaulting Mr Maclay at the fast food takeaway on Great Western Road.

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

Wilson, from Bearsden, near Glasgow, is accused of assaulting Gavin Quinn in the same place on the same date, by pulling him from a chair and placing him in a headlock and struggling with him.

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

Mr Hasting told the court he had been at nightclub, Viper’s, in the city’s west end, with other rugby players and had gone into Barbeque Kings at around 2am.

He explained that he was dressed as a minion – a character from an animated film – and while in the takeaway he heard a “ruckus” and a “thump”. Mr Hasting said that he saw a man called Gavin Quinn on the floor and Wilson standing over him, looking down at him.

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

Mr Hastings told how Mr Maclay then came into the restaurant and hugged Mr Quinn.

He said Mr Maclay then walked over to Wilson and said: “Leave it, Batman.”

Mr Youngson asked the witness if 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: “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.

“I believe he grabbed hold of Gav and Ally Maclay fell to the ground in the corner of the restaurant.”

He added: “His eye had swollen very badly; 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 Wilson pulled Mr Quinn from the chair he was sitting at and that was the thump he heard.

Mr Youngson asked Mr Hasting if he could tell the court where he was in the footage.

Referring to another fancy dress costume, he answered: “I think I’m behind the crayon.”

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

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