A MUSSELBURGH plastering boss who headbutted a man and assaulted his female friend who was on crutches has been ordered to pay a fine.

Jamie McLeod, 33, became involved in a fight with Declan Gray outside Wallyford Miners Club earlier this year.

Mr Gray had been ejected from the premises for allegedly rowdy behaviour and, after being refused entry back into the club, he began shouting and banging on the building’s windows.

McLeod, who was inside the club, was then challenged to step outside and fight Mr Gray and, during the violent confrontation, the building company owner headbutted the man to the ground.

McLeod was then confronted by Mr Gray’s friend Sally Cameron, who had also been at the miners’ club and who was on crutches.

The woman fended off McLeod with her walking aids but was soon pushed into a parked car by McLeod after she had leaned down to help Mr Gray.

McLeod, of Galt Terrace, admitted both assaults when he appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.

Fiscal depute Christopher McKnight told the court that Mr Gray became angry after being kicked out of the village miners’ club at about midnight on May 10.

The fiscal said: “The accused confronted him and the pair squared up to each other; the accused grabbed the complainer and headbutted him.

“The complainer lay motionless on the ground.

“The second complainer, Sally Cameron, who was using crutches, then attempted to fend off the accused with the crutches.

“She leant over the complainer and the accused pushed her in the back, causing her to fall into a car.”

Police were then called to the scene and Mr Gray was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment but was said to have just suffered from “minor swelling” to the face.

Defence lawyer Colm Dempsey said that his client owned his own plastering and harling firm and employed five workers.

Mr Dempsey said that Mr Gray had been ejected from the club due to his behaviour and, after banging on windows demanding to get back in, he then challenged McLeod to fight with him.

Mr Dempsey said that the incident had been “out of character” for McLeod and that he remained a patron of the miners’ club, despite the incident.

Sheriff Wendy Sheehan told McLeod: “I accept this is out of character as you have nothing analogous and nothing for the past nine years.

“But you not only headbutted him but you pushed a woman on crutches into a car.”

Sheriff Sheehan sentenced McLeod to pay a £700 fine.

McLeod pleaded guilty to assaulting Declan Gray by grabbing him by the body and headbutting him to his injury at Salters Road, Wallyford, on May 10.

He also admitted assaulting Sally Cameron by pushing her on the body and causing her to fall to the ground during the same incident.