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Breaking stories
Evans free to face Irish as court clears star
By Hilary Duncanson
Scotland international Max Evans was back at training yesterday and could face Ireland after being cleared of assaulting a man at a nightclub.
The 28-year-old former Glasgow Warriors player was accused of striking Alasdair McCaig with a glass at Edinburgh’s Lulu nightclub on Aug 1, 2010.Evans denied the charge and said he had acted in self-defence after being punched by the 29-year-old.
A jury of nine women and six men took less than an hour to return a verdict of not guilty after a five-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The Scottish Rugby Union confirmed yesterday the winger was back in contention to play in Saturday’s Six Nations game against Ireland after missing the defeat against France with an ankle injury.
During the trial, property development worker McCaig told the court he was drinking champagne with his sister and an old schoolfriend at the bar of the club’s VIP area when he was struck in the face with a “sharp blow”, which left him bleeding.
However, the sportsman said he had simply reacted to defend himself after feeling “threatened” by McCaig.
He said he was punched by McCaig and thought he was “coming for me”, and had not intended for a glass to be used in the fracas.
Evans told jurors he first became aware of Mr McCaig when he called out “something insulting”. He said the comment was: “Evans, what are you doing here? Fuck off back to Glasgow.”
The sportsman said he ignored the remark but further “insulting comments” were directed, including a remark that he was a “faggot” and his brother “a pussy”.
Evans, who was in the company of Sarah Jane Bell, a nanny, said they were interrupted by Mr McCaig as they made their way to the dance floor of the George Street venue. Evans told the court: “He assaulted me with his right arm. It had enough force to feel like a punch. Enough for me to feel threatened by it. I thought he was coming for me. I thought he’d attack me.” Evans said he used his left arm to push him away.
He told how he had not realised he had a champagne glass in his hand at the time, which broke easily.
McCaig was treated in hospital for a laceration to his eyebrow, which a doctor described as being “entirely superficial”, the court was told.