A witness to an alleged serious assault at a Greenock petrol station has told the sheriff court that he can’t remember being there – despite him appearing on CCTV at the time of the incident.
According to the Greenock Telegraph, the 23-year-old man said he’d been taking Valium and had been drinking heavily so couldn’t recall the incident, which happened at 5am on September 6, 2020.
He was one of three men caught on camera entering the shop at the BP Branchton SF Connect on Inverkip Road, shortly before another man was allegedly attacked and scarred for life.
The accused – Michael Duffy, aged 22, – is charged with throwing a rock at the victim which is said to have struck him on the head.
The court played the CCTV to the witness to help jog his memory but it didn’t work. He said he couldn’t see who had thrown the rock because they had their face covered.
The Greenock Telegraph report said the witness was asked if he knew the other men but again he said he didn’t know, adding: “I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you who I was with that night.”
The victim of the incident was apparently chased by three men. He ran into the petrol station shouting: “They’re going to stab me.” He ran for cover behind the till area before he was struck.
The police said Duffy’s nose was clearly visible in the CCTV but the defence lawyer said the image was grainy.
The trial was adjourned until April 5.
