Jedburgh Sheriff CourtJedburgh Sheriff Court
Jedburgh Sheriff Court

Galashiels man jailed for assault​s

​​A 29-year-old man who carried out two serious assaults in Galashiels in just over a fortnight has received a jail sentence of three and a half year s.

Michael Brown was found guilty of both offences in October 2022 following a four day jury trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

He was found guilty of repeatedly punching Rory Middlemiss on the face at a house in Stirling Place on October 5 and striking him on the head with a piece of wood to his severe injury.

Brown was also convicted of choking Darren Richardson at a flat in Gala Park on October 22 and repeatedly striking him on the head and body with his fists, striking his head against a toilet and slashing him on the face with a knife to his injury and permanent disfigurement.

He received jail sentences of 18 months and 24 months which will run consecutively.

Brown, formerly of Hawick but who was described as a prisoner at Addiewell, had pleaded guilty prior to the trial to a third charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Hawick Police Station on October 23 by acting aggressively, shouting and swearing and using homophobic epithets towards staff for which he received a six month jail sentence.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said the six months would run concurrently with the 42 months jail sentence.

The sentence was back-dated to October 24, 2022, when Brown was first remanded in custody in connection with the case.