Scotland: Man convicted of assault at gay former council chief’s flat
A man has been convicted of punching another man during an assault at gay former senior councillor Steven Purcell’s home in Glasgow.
The incident happened at Mr Purcell’s flat in January 2012.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Ross Henderson, 37, attacked James McLeod at the property in Merchant City in Glasgow.
Henderson told police he did it because he had woken up and found his trousers removed and another man touching him.
The 37-year-old said that Neil Henry, a neighbour of Mr Purcell’s, had his hands on Henderson’s private parts and that he could hear Mr McLeod laughing.
Henderson admitted punching someone but told police he did not use a cricket bat. He claimed he acted in self defence.
Sgt Ryan Todd said that when he and his colleagues appeared at the scene, Henderson and Mr Purcell were agitated and “uncooperative” and questioning why they were there.
He told the court Henderson then said that Mr Purcell was sleeping and had nothing to do with the assault.
Insp Mark Nicol told the court Mr Purcell was “very drunk” and said: “At that time Mr Purcell wasn’t keen for the police to be in his flat.”
He said Mr Purcell had blood on his shirt and there was broken glass and blood in the hallway and living room.
Both men were detained by police but only Henderson was charged and appeared on trial.
Henderson denied the assault to injury on 29 January 2012, by repeatedly punching Mr McLeod’s face, claiming self defence but was convicted on Tuesday by Sheriff Stuart Reid and fined £200.
The sheriff cleared him of a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing and making threats. He told Henderson it was “perhaps regarded as reasonable in the circumstances”.
He cited exhaustion and stress as the reasons for his departure from office.
It later emerged he was being treated in a private clinic specialising in drug and alcohol dependency.
