A controversial wedding sparked violence within Perthshire’s travelling community.
Enraged by his relative’s choice of bride, John Newlands stormed into his house and attacked him with a screwdriver on January 23 last year.
After hearing shouting, swearing and banging outside the home he shared with his partner in Cleish, William Travers told her to hide in the bathroom with her children.
He then made a desperate attempt to secure the property, but failed to notice the patio door had been left open.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how Newlands forced his way into the house and, despite being put in a headlock, managed to stab his victim several times with the screwdriver, leaving him with a 3cm wound above his eye.
The 43-year-old also broke Mr Travers’ nose, as well as leaving him with two superficial cuts to the top of his head. Earlier that same day, Newlands’ daughter Angela had been involved in an altercation with another relative.
Mercedes Miller was driving along Kinross High Street when the 22-year-old stepped out in front of her car, forcing her to brake sharply.
As the shocked driver wound down her window to confront Newlands, the accused leaned in the window and grabbed her necklace, breaking it before taking hold of her hair and punching her on the face.
Ms Miller was punched again as she was dragged from the vehicle. The father and daughter pair appeared for sentencing at Perth Sheriff Court, where a long-standing family feud was unveiled.
Angela Newlands’ solicitor told the court his client had previously complained to police about her victim’s behaviour, but the matter remained unresolved.
He also described her attack as “spontaneous”, advising that there was no premeditated element to the incident. Newlands, of May Place, Perth, admitted that on January 23 last year she assaulted Ms Miller.
Sheriff Alistair Brown warned her that, had it not been for her limited record, she would have faced a period in custody, which he said was “fully justified”.
She was visibly distraught as he ordered her to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
Meanwhile, defending John Newlands, Billy Somerville told how “thousands” of derogatory messages had been left on Facebook, aimed at his client and his family.
“My understanding is that one of these mentions is about kicking his daughter Angela,” he said.
“It’s fairly dreadful reading. His daughter’s car was also set on fire and she had to move from Kinross, while his own van was destroyed.
“This was the last straw and he accepts he took matters into his own hands and acted in the way described, but he doesn’t make any attempt to justify it.”
During Mr Somerville’s defence, Sheriff Brown revealed that a statement from Mr Travers suggested that things started to “go wrong” when he married someone from outside the travelling community.
Newlands, of Green Julian Place, Inchture admitted that on January 23 last year, at Craigton Garden in Cleish, he assaulted Mr Travers by punching and kicking him on the head and body, as well as repeatedly stabbing him on the head with a screwdriver to his injury.
He was jailed for three years and two months. He told his daughter to “keep away from them” as he was led from the dock.