A farmer has been convicted of the single-punch killing of a pub goer who called his girlfriend a “fat b***h”.
Raymond Shand, 41, hit David Suttle, 59, after he insulted barmaid Heather Brown at the Horn Inn Pub in Duns, Berwickshire, in September 2019.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Heather 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 Heather: “He’s not going to speak to you like that.”
Shand then punched Mr Suttle, causing him to fall and bang his head on the ground, which led to him sustaining a fatal head injury.
Shand, of Peebles, pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of culpable homicide.
Shand was also convicted of assaulting another man, Derek McDonald, by punching and kicking him in June 2019.
His lawyer Iain McSporran QC claimed the circumstances surrounding the culpable homicide were such that Shand might be entitled to a non-custodial sentence.
He added: “I will be making a submission that a custodial sentence is not inevitable.”
Lord Richardson continued Shand’s bail.
But he told him 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 next month.
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