Man avoids jail after beating brother

It was a case of family history repeating itself as Gary Telfer had subjected his brother Peter to a vicious assault around eight years earlier.

He was jailed on that occasion but this time he avoided prison and was put on a restriction of liberty order.

Telfer (25) carried out the assault at a party in Cowdenbeath then went to his mother’s home in Glenrothes where his violence continued.

Telfer was a prisoner at Perth when he appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, where he had previously admitted a string of offences which occurred on February 10.

At Factory Road, Cowdenbeath, he assaulted Peter Telfer by repeatedly punching him on the head to his injury.

On the same day at Forres Drive, Glenrothes, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and brandishing a baton.

He also admitted he was in possession of an offensive weapon, the baton.

Telfer further admitted that he then resisted two female police officers by struggling violently with them.

Depute fiscal Jennifer Graham said Telfer had been convicted for assault to serious injury on his brother Peter in 2010.

In the recent incident, Peter Telfer had been contacted by his brother asking if he could stay with him for a time in Cowdenbeath.

The two brothers had been drinking with others at Peter’s home when an argument took place. Peter had taken hold of the baton and struck the accused who had retaliated by repeatedly punching him on the head.

Afterwards, Peter Telfer phoned an acquaintance and told him, “Gary’s smashed me. There’s blood all over the ground.”

The mother later contacted the police, concerned about her sons. When officers were at her home at 11.15am the accused arrived and was still carrying the metal baton.

He threw it on the ground but it had been spotted by officers. Telfer became more and more aggressive and picked up the baton, brandishing it at one of the officers, who called for back-up.

Telfer was then sprayed to subdue him but continued to struggle as handcuffs were applied.

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said the argument had started when someone at the party asked about Peter Telfer’s scars which had been caused by his brother eight years ago.

This had led to Peter Telfer striking his brother with the baton.

Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed an eight-month ‘tag’. The sheriff also had to deal with a breached community payback order for an offence which occurred more than four years ago.

Telfer had assaulted his pregnant partner Laurisa Samadi at his then home in Alexander Road, Glenrothes, by kicking her to the head and body and seizing her throat in February 2014. The sheriff revoked the order.