Edinburgh crime: Broxburn man who attacked birthday girl during Royal Highland Centre event fined

A violent thug launched a savage attack on a young woman as she celebrated her birthday at a sold out DJ dance event in Edinburgh.

Liam Ritchie, 35, viciously punched victim Ellen Clarkson to the side of her face during an altercation at the Hot Dub Time Machine gig in August last year. Ritchie targeted Ms Clarkson after she was said to have become involved in a dispute with his sister following the popular show at the Capital’s Ingliston Highland Centre.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the 24-year-old victim was also assaulted by an unknown woman as she lay on the ground outside the venue.

The court heard Ms Clarkson, a social worker, suffered a fractured cheekbone during the attack and was said to have vomited after being rushed to hospital for treatment to her injuries.

Ritchie, from Broxburn, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of assault to injury after the Crown agreed to delete the word “severe” from the complaint when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Co-accused 38-year-old Debbie Phillips, from Edinburgh, who was alleged to have struck Ms Clarkson to the head while she was lying on the ground during the incident, had her not guilty pleas accepted by the Crown.

Prosecutor Klaudia Wasilewska told the court Ritchie was at the dance event as was Ms Clarkson who had attended with friends on August 21 last year.

Ms Wasilewska said: “At the event there was an incident involving the complainer and another female. The parties are shown at the venue and the complainer is shown to approach another female and the two females engaged in a struggle. The accused Ritchie ran over and got involved in the altercation.

“During the struggle the accused Ritchie is seen to throw a heavy punch to the left side of the complainer’s face which caused her to fall to the ground. The CCTV footage shows she is seen to hit the ground with some force.”

The fiscal depute said Ms Clarkson then “curled into a ball protecting her head” before another female “struck her to the face”. The unknown attacker was said to have been “pulled away by other persons unknown”.

Ms Wasilewska said Ms Clarkson was taken to Forth Valley hospital where she vomited due to the pain and was found to have suffered a fracture to her cheekbone.

The court was told no one was arrested at the time but following a police investigation Ritchie was “identified and he attended a police station” on September 7 last year. Following the attack Ms Clarkson, from Broxburn, West Lothian, said she had been out celebrating her birthday and posted shocking images of her injuries on her social media page.

Solicitor Iain Smith, defending, said his client had seen Ms Clarkson and his sister involved in a confrontation inside the venue and again outside as they were all leaving.

Mr Smith said Ritchie’s sister had suffered an injury inside the dance event and when the two groups met outside “the complainer approached his sister”. He said Ritchie had taken “umbrage” to the situation and punched Ms Clarkson to the face.

Mr Smith added: “He understands his reaction was disproportionate. He had seen his sister approached for a second time and he strikes out.”

Sheriff John Cook sentenced Ritchie to pay a fine of £740 to mark the offence. Ritchie pleaded guilty to assaulting Ellen Clarkson by punching her to the head causing her to fall to the ground to her injury at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, on August 21 last year.

A third accused, Robert Farquhar, 41, from Edinburgh, is due to stand trial next year on an allegation of assaulting Cameron Hunter by punching him to the head during the same incident.