Farmer killed pub goer with one punch after insulting barmaid

A farmer has been convicted of killing a pub goer who called his girlfriend a ‘fat b***h’ with a single punch.

Raymond Shand, 41, struck David Suttle, 59, after he insulted barmaid Heather Brown at the Horn Inn Pub in Duns, Berwickshire, on September 22 2019.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Ms Brown had told Mr Suttle to leave the pub late in the evening.

But as he was leaving, Mr Suttle was heard saying: “Well if that fat b***h isn’t going to give us another drink.”

This prompted Shand to tell Ms Brown: “He’s not going to speak to you like that.”

Shand then punched Mr Suttle which caused him to fall over and bang his head on the ground which led to him sustaining a fatal head injury.

Shand, formerly of Huntly, Aberdeenshire, was then apprehended by police and brought to court.

The story emerged following a hearing before judge Lord Richardson on Friday.

Shand, now of Peebles, pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide.

The court heard that Shand is a farmer who has no previous convictions.

He travelled to Duns from his then-home in Aberdeenshire to spend time with his partner.

Prosecutor Mark Mohammed told Lord Richardson that Mr Suttle had insulted Ms Brown on a number of occasions.

Mr Mohammed said: “The girlfriend of the accused Heather Brown works as a barmaid at the Horn Inn. The accused worked as a farmer in Aberdeenshire.

“He would periodically stay with his girlfriend in Duns. Heather Brown knew the deceased who was a regular at the Horn Inn.

“When the deceased was intoxicated Heather Brown was of the view that he was a nasty drunk.

He would often make cutting remarks about her weight and had insulted her after he had drinks.

“On one occasion in the weeks before he was killed, he mocked Heather Brown’s weight and suggested she was pregnant.

“Heather Brown then confided about the deceased to him.”

The court heard that on the night he died, Mr Suttle had been drinking in the pub and was told to leave. He then made the remark which caused Shand to strike him and he lost his life shortly afterwards.

Shand was also convicted of assaulting another man called Derek McDonald by punching and kicking him on June 16 2019 in Duns.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran QC asked the court for Shand’s bail to be continued.

He said the court would be required to call for a background report as Shand had no previous convictions.

Mr McSporran also said that he’d reserve his mitigation until Shand’s sentencing hearing. But he said the circumstances surrounding the culpable homicide were such that Shand might be entitled to a non custodial sentence.

Mr McSporran added: “I will be making a submission that a custodial sentence is not inevitable.”

Lord Richardson continued Shand’s bail.

He told the accused that this did not mean he would not be going to prison.

He added: “You should not read anything into this.”

Shand will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on September 24 2021.