Rugby stars' assault trial told of 'Batman punch'

The alleged attack is said to have taken place at Barbeque Kings fast food shop in Glasgow

An assault trial has heard how a Scotland international rugby player was dressed as Batman when he allegedly attacked an amateur player in Glasgow.

Glasgow Warriors Ryan Grant, 29, Ryan Wilson, 25 and Rory Hughes, 21, deny attacking Ally Maclay, a Glasgow Hawk.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard from amateur player Fraser Hastie, who was dressed as a minion when the alleged attack happened at Barbeque Kings.

He said Mr Wilson, who was wearing a Batman costume, punched Mr Maclay.

Mr Hastie, 20, was giving evidence in the trial of the three Glasgow Warriors players Mr Wilson, Mr Grant and Mr Hughes.

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

Halloween night out

It is alleged Mr Grant, from Hyndland, Glasgow, with Mr Wilson and Mr 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, East Dunbartonshire, 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, who is from King's Park, Glasgow, by repeatedly punching him on the head.

Mr Hastie 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 02:00.

He said that he was dressed as a minion - a character from the film Despicable Me - and while in the takeaway heard a "ruckus" and a "thump".

Mr Hastie 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 Hastie.

Mr Hastie 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 if it was suggested to him that Mr Maclay was looking for trouble.

'Threw a punch'

Mr Hastie 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 Hastie told the court that Mr Wilson went over to Mr Maclay and others, including Ryan Grant - who was dressed as Bain, from the Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises - and Rory Hughes who 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 during which a man dressed as a large red crayon is seen to look on.

The witness was then 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.

Mr Youngson asked Mr Hastie if he could tell the court where he was on the footage. He answered: "I think I'm behind the crayon."

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.