Drink-fuelled beating ‘in self defence’

A DRUNKEN 24-year old man alleged to have “mercilessly” beaten his former girlfriend in a drink and drug fuelled rage claims he acted in self defence.

A trial jury heard Richard Gleave subjected Megan Birch to a frenzied attack after a group drinks binge.

Gleave, who has a young child with the 18-year old, is alleged to have attacked her and another of the group, 51-year-old Paul Thomson, when he tried to intervene.

Mr Thomson told the court how Gleave had pounded her in the face with his fists, stamped on her head as she lay defenceless then stabbed her in the legs and face.

Gleave, who admits hitting his ex, told a jury he never intended to harm her and had lashed out after Mr Thomson attacked him with his fists and hit him with a brick.

He said he began hitting out instinctively but stopped when he became aware of Ms Birch pleading with him to stop.

Ms Birch told the court she had drunk at least a litre of vodka during the afternoon and evening of March 30 and could recall virtually nothing of the attack. Gleave too said his recollections were unclear.

Paul MacDonald, defending, said Mr Thomson had claimed to have been sober at the time, but one of the police officers called to deal with the incident, described him as drunk.

Mr MacDonald suggested he had been trying to give himself false credence by appearing to be a reliable witness, but he said his account of events was riddled with inconsistencies.

He said: “There has been gross distortion of the facts and Mr Thomson, I suggest, is an utterly unreliable witness.”

Mr MacDonald also criticised police handling of the case, including disagreements with the Crown Prosecution Service as to whether charges should be brought. The knife allegedly used by Gleave in the attack had never been subject to forensic examination and hadn’t been produced as evidence, and there was no medical evidence: the jury saw only photographs of the injuries.

He maintained that Gleave, who had no fixed address at the time, had had no reason to launch the attack on the mother of his child.

After his arrest she wrote to him in affectionate terms for some weeks until being told to stop by the police.

Gleave pleads not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and criminal damage.

(Proceeding)