Rangers fans jailed after drug-fuelled brawl

Jason Henderson and Lee Sibanda - who formerly played for Arbroath and Cowdenbeath - had gone to a pub in Cupar to watch the Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final on April 17 last year - a tie won on penalties by Rangers.

Colin Ewen, Ross Kelly and Graeme Duncan then turned up at the same boozer where, later in the evening, an argument broke out over their rival teams.

The trio were thrown out of the pub - but minutes later when Mr Henderson and Mr Sibanda left a brawl broke out that left both victims lying unconscious on the ground.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “Mr Sibanda was grabbed and they fall to the ground, leaving him unconscious.

“Accused Kelly then strikes Mr Henderson to the head, knocking him unconscious.

“Mr Ewen then kicks him once on the head.

“All three accused then run off and the two men are left lying unconscious on the ground.”

Ewen (34), of Orchardgate, Cupar, Kelly (27) of Shielhill Place, Perth, and Duncan (32) of Tarvit Terrace, Cupar, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of assault to injury.

Solicitor Katrina Clark, for Ewen, said: “The CCTV in the bar shows the complainers acting in an aggressive and abusive manner.

“It seems to come down to the fact they support different football teams.

“At one point one of the complainers goes up and pulls the accused’s jersey forward and puts something down his top.

“It is probably more good fortune than anything else the the injuries were not severe.”

John Boyle, defending Kelly, added: “I don’t seek to excuse his actions that evening.

“He has analagous previous convictions but there is a fairly significant gap in that offending.

“He’s well aware this offence will have to be marked.”

Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed Ewen and Duncan for 16 months each and jailed Kelly for a year.

He said: “Kicking somebody to the head can kill them. A single kick can do that.

“The time to think about what the effect of alcohol and cocaine can do to your family and your children as a result of your lack of judgement when you do something criminal is befoer you take it, not in court afterwards.”