Man jailed for motorbike gang attempted murder near Selkirk
- Published
Barry Smith drove a van at a motorbike being ridden by a member of a rival group
A former serviceman who joined a motorbike gang has been jailed for eight years for attempting to murder a member of a rival group.
Barry Smith, 42, of Dunfermline, drove a van into a motorcycle being ridden by Andrew Lamb.
He carried out the attack on the A7 near the junction of the A699 road at Selkirk in July 2021.
Smith had denied the offence but was found guilty after a trial and jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh.
On the day of the incident, he was acting as a support driver for Satans Slaves, the group he belonged to.
He was meant to help motorcyclists who injured themselves or broke down.
However, the court heard how Smith used his van to carry out out an assault on Mr Lamb - a member of the Tribe Motorcycle Club - which left him needing urgent hospital treatment.
Moments earlier, eyewitnesses had seen members of the two groups fighting on the road.
Smith had denied any wrongdoing but was convicted after a trial last month.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Fiona Tait told him: "I have listened to everything that has been said on your behalf this morning.
"However, this was a serious assault which has lasting and significant consequences for the complainer.
"I'm of the view that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal in this case. You will serve eight years in custody."
Post-traumatic stress
During the trial, the jury heard that in the hours before the attack on Mr Lamb, about 125 motorcyclists had descended on the area from England and other parts of Scotland.
The court heard that after striking Mr Lamb, Smith had not contacted emergency services and had driven away from the scene.
His vehicle was damaged from the collision and it was abandoned further down the road.
Defence advocate John Brannigan told the court that his client still maintained he was innocent.
He said he had joined the gang for the "camaraderie" and that although he did not have a formal diagnosis he had experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
He asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence but the judge jailed him as well as endorsing his driving licence with 10 penalty points.