A loyalist group official who beat a fellow member with a ceremonial mallet over a “breach of protocol” has been spared a jail term. William Fairley, 67, described by his lawyer as a “chief marshal”, struck Cameron Gillespie, 57, in the face with the wooden gavel at the Redding and Westquarter Unity Club, Falkirk, the town’s sheriff court heard.
Prosecutor Eilidh Smith told the court Mr Gillespie had gone to the club – a venue for groups including the Redding and Westquarter Protestant Boys Flute Band and a branch of the Apprentice Boys of Derry — to attend “a lodge meeting”. Fairley, described as having a considerable record for violence, saw him, and challenged him to a fight – an offer which Mr Gillespie refused.
Ms Smith said: “Apparently they were then queuing to sign in when Mr Fairley pushed in front of Mr Gillespie and picked up a small wooden mallet which had been on the desk and swung around and struck Mr Gillespie on the left side of his face.”
The impact caused bruising and swelling to Mr Gillespie’s jaw and below his eye. Staff “removed” Fairley, whose membership was then suspended.
Mr Gillespie went to hospital. No fractures were found, and he was given painkillers. He later attended at Falkirk Police Station to report what had happened. The incident occurred about 7.30 pm on January 31, 2024.
Fairley, a plant operator, of Laurieston, Falkirk, appeared for sentence on Thursday December 19 after pleading guilty to assaulting Mr Gillespie to his injury. Solicitor-advocate Martin Morrow, defending, claimed Mr Gillespie “rather than being some passive victim” had in fact been “fairly aggressive” towards Fairley.
Mr Morrow said: “As they were entering this meeting there’s a level of seniority involved – what order, and what way. Mr Fairley held a higher position because he was chief marshal.
“There was some form of protocol, and when that was pointed out it was suggested that Mr Fairley might be attacked by Mr Gillespie, who was going to ‘kick the s**t out of him’. At that point the ceremonial gavel, a small thing like you might find on the [judge’s] bench in the USA, was picked up by Mr Fairley who aimed it at Mr Gillespie in this particular manner.”
Mr Morrow said Mr Fairley remained suspended over the incident, pending the outcome of the court case. He described his client as “a hard-working grandfather”.
The court heard Fairley had “a considerable record” of previous convictions, including two for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement in 2008, assaulting and injuring someone in 2014 with a metal bar, and assault using a machete in 2020. Sheriff Craig Harris sentenced Fairley to an 135-day restriction of liberty order as an alternative to jail.
During the order he will have to wear an electronic tag and remain within his home from 8pm to 4.30 am daily. Sheriff Harris said: “This was another assault, with a weapon, to injury.”
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