Unpaid work for man who hit Celtic fan with baseball bat

A man who smacked a Celtic fan with a baseball bat after he complained about him playing Rangers songs has been ordered to undertake unpaid work.

Ryan Hutton, 31, attacked neighbour James Wedlock on December 8, 2019.

Irate customer services worker Mr Wedlock, 44, claimed the noise was so bad the floor of his flat in Glasgow’s Royston was vibrating.

Hutton claimed to have been acting in self-defence, but was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court earlier this month of assaulting Mr Wedlock to his injury with a metal bat.

On Wednesday, Hutton was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work and was put under supervision for 12 months by Sheriff Lindsay Wood as he returned to the dock.

The attack occurred after the Betfred league cup final between the clubs, which Celtic won 1-0.

Mr Wedlock told jurors how the music started earlier that day around 9.30am.

The dad-of-four had gone to bed early for work the next day, but could not get to sleep due to the noise.

He went to Hutton’s door with his wife and stepdaughter.

The victim said: “I told him to turn the music down and he said ‘what’s the f*****g problem, James.”

Mr Wedlock alleged Hutton’s friend lifted a hand as if to hit his stepdaughter which made him intervene.

He said: “I jumped in between them and they started punching me.

“I remember my wife pulling me back and Ryan saying to his mate ‘get the baseball bat’.”

Jurors heard Mr Wedlock got an “ornamental” bat from his own home.

He said: “After that I can only remember being covered in blood. There was a gash on my head which I got three stitches for.”

Mr Wedlock was asked what type of music was playing, and he replied: “It was dance in the morning and changed to Rangers and loyalist songs as it went on.

Mr Wedlock’s wife, Elizabeth, 51, told jurors she had earlier gone to Hutton’s door but he did not answer.

She said: “He was in the hallway while I was knocking the door.

“He was shouting f**k the Pope and the IRA on numerous occasions through the door.”