Mother of three beaten by Celtic bigot on train

• By Dailyrecord.co.uk

Mum-of-three beaten by teen girl on a train for asking her to stop singing sectarian songs

2 Feb 2013 08:14

A WOMAN was left black and blue after a tiny teen girl attacked her on a busy train when she asked her to stop singing sectarian songs.

ELIZABETH IRWIN had her hair pulled and was dragged about the train carriage before being punched in the face after she asked Jade McKnight to stop singing songs.

Elizabeth Irwin, 39, was viciously beaten by Jade McKnight, 17, who was on her way home from a Celtic v Dunfermline match.

Horrified passengers looked on as Celtic fan McKnight screamed abuse at mother-of-three Elizabeth.

McKnight, of Lanark, pulled her hair and called her an “Orange b*****d” before repeatedly punching her.

Elizabeth was heading home to Wishaw with her husband Tom when she was attacked in February last year.

Elizabeth, who runs a cake making business, said: “We heard McKnight and her friends coming up the train singing songs.

“They sat across from us and continued singing and chanting but we tried to ignore them.

“She then kept telling me to join in with singing. When I said no she called me an Orange b*****d and hurled abuse at me.

“I stood up and asked where she was getting off and she said Lanark.

“We were at Motherwell so I asked her to move as I didn’t want to listen until we were getting off at Wishaw.

“She then yanked my hair and dragged me about. It happened so quickly and I’m not sure if it was a fist, knee or chair that hit me in the face.

“I was black and blue, suffered mild concussion and headaches. My chest was bruised and I ended up with a black eye.”

McKnight was arrested at Wishaw train station and charged by British Transport Police.

She had been due to be sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court but was ordered to return to court next week due to a paperwork delay.

She had earlier pled guilty to one charge of assault to injury and one of threatening and abusive behaviour with a sectarian element.

Her bail conditions ban her from attending any Celtic matches.

Elizabeth added: “When I saw her in court I couldn’t believe the size of her.

“She is tiny and I kept thinking how could she do that to someone my size.”

Celtic fan arrested for sickening bigoted abuse

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/scottishnews/4757175/Footy-bigot-baits-Andy-Goram-in-bookies.html

A YOB was arrested yesterday after launching a vile sectarian attack on former Scotland goalie Andy Goram.

Bigot Aaron Laing, 25, is seen yelling sickening abuse at the Rangers legend in a video posted online.

In it he brands Goram, 49, a “dirty Orange b*****d” and jokes about his battles with mental illness.

Cops nicked Laing at his home in Peterhead last night and charged him with breach of the peace.

Laing — who dated Scotland boss Gordon Strachan’s niece when he was in charge at Celtic — ran into Scottish SunSport columnist Goram in a bookies in his hometown of Peterhead at the weekend.

The video shows the ex-footballer sitting at a gambling machine. Laing pokes fun at his past problems with schizophrenia by shouting: “There’s only two Andy Gorams.”

Foul-mouthed Laing then yells: “What a dirty ***t”.

He also makes a quip about Gers’ tax affairs when he bawls: “Andy Goram spending all his EBTs on the *****ng roulette machine. W**k.”

Goram — who keeps smiling throughout the incident — was in the town as a guest of a local supporters club.

He said yesterday: “I was shocked. You don’t expect that kind of abuse. I bit my lip as I didn’t want to get done for assault.”

Outraged fans slammed Laing last night after the video, which it’s thought he filmed himself, went viral.

Rangers Supporters Association boss John Macmillan said: “It’s totally unacceptable.”

On Twitter, user Only an Excuse wrote: “If you behave like a bigot you can’t expect police not to get involved.”

Last night Grampian Police said a 25-year-old man is due to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court today.