19 September 2006
ECHO STAR CLEARED OF FAN ATTACK
ECHO and the Bunnymen star Ian McCulloch was cleared yesterday of assaulting two fans in his dressing room.
But the indie band's singer was convicted of a breach of the peace by threatening them at Glasgow's Barrowlands last October.
Glasgow District Court heard that McCulloch lost his temper when he discovered Gary Duncan, 39, and Juliet Sebley, 34, in the toilet in his dressing room.
He was shouting: "Get out or I'm going to kick the f****** door in."
The pair tried to placate him by explaining they had been caught short and would soon be out but McCulloch continued to rant.
McCulloch claimed he had merely politely asked the couple to leave. He told the court: "They were laughing and giggling. I felt uncomfortable. Two of the three cubicles were empty."
McCulloch told depute fiscal Michael Berry he thought the couple were taking drugs but said he found no sign of this.
The couple both denied in their evidence any suggestion they'd been in the same cubicle.
Stipendiary magistrate Robert Hamilton admonished McCulloch, saying: "I'm going to take a very lenient view."
As he left court, McCulloch said that it hadn't put him off playing gigs in Glasgow. He said: "I love Glasgow. Barrowlands is the best venue in the world."
