common assault scotland

[sandrajane28]

My friend has recently been charged with common assault.He saw 3 youths smash a bottle in the street at 2am and went over to ask them to pick it up as his young son walks there. They refused so he took one by the arm to take him over to the bottle. They all squared up to him and he hit out at them in self defence as they were acting aggressively towards him. The police saw this and charged him with assault. He admitted to the police he had hit them and explained the circumstances but they said he should have come to get police not hit the youths. He has no police record and this is first offence. There was no injury to the youth. Would he be likely to have charge dropped if he pleads not guitly on grounds of self defence?

[daffy654]

It sounds like the young man whose arm he grabbed would also be able to say he feared for his safety after a complete stranger grabbed him in the street.