The Royal Court has condemned “violence and thuggery on the streets of St Helier” after a 32-year-old man was jailed for more than three years for two “horrendous assaults”.
Michael Morton McBride was sentenced on Friday to three years and one month in prison for hitting one man with a vodka bottle in front of his young child and drunkenly brawling with another outside McDonald’s in front of “frightened” shoppers – attacks the court described as “unrelated episodes of serious criminality”.
McBride, who is from Glasgow, pleaded guilty to all charges, which included two counts of grave and criminal assault, malicious damage, and violently resisting arrest.
Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood, prosecuting, said the first incident took place shortly after midnight on 27 October 2024 outside St Thomas’ Church in St Helier.
The victim had gone there to confront McBride after learning that his child had allegedly been sold cocaine by him earlier in the evening.
CCTV footage shown in court captured McBride hitting the man over the head multiple times with the glass bottle.
He then pushed the man to the ground and continued to punch and kick him – before the victim’s child intervened.
The court heard how firefighters at the scene witnessed the assault and heard McBride shouting: “You jumped me, you called me here.”
The victim suffered multiple head lacerations – one requiring four stitches – and bruising across his torso and back.
Advocate Greg Herold Howes, defending, said the victim went “looking for a fight and ended up in one”.
The second assault took place around midday on 10 March on Halkett Street, where McBridge drunkenly brawled with his friend shortly after buying him a McDonald’s meal.
McBride punched and kicked his friend and threw him to the floor before kicking a metal pole and punching a sign.
Advocate Hollywood said witnesses described McBride’s actions as “frenzied” and that he was throwing “really vicious” punches.
“The defendant was the aggressor in the situation, and [the victim] was attempting to defend himself.”
She added: “Members of the public were left frightened for their safety, and the defendant’s behaviour caused them not to want to interfere, in case he turned his aggression towards them.”
The court heard that McBride fled but was found nearby by police. He resisted arrest, was verbally abusive, and had to be restrained by four officers.
Advocate Howes described it as “a grappling between two friends that blew out of proportion”, saying the injuries were “not long-lasting”.
He argued that McBride is a man of recent good character who cares deeply for his partner, had a difficult childhood, and is awaiting a mental health assessment.
The court, however, rejected the mitigation.
Lieutenant Bailiff Olsen told McBride: “These were horrendous assaults. You used a vodka bottle with which you struck the victim on the head with such force that it smashed and cut his head.
You punched and kicked him repeatedly and even circled him to reach his head, in front of his [child]. You caused 14 injuries, some of which were moderate.”
On the second attack, the judge added: “Your kicks had enough force to damage a metal pole. Imagine what that could do to a person… Your reaction was wholly disproportionate.
“It occurred in a busy street with many pedestrians, including children. Many members of the public feared for their safety.”
He said the public had to be protected from “violence and thuggery on the streets of St Helier” and concluded that there were “no exceptional circumstances” to reduce the sentence.