Violent dad-of-three is jailed for 15 months after attacking visitor to Motherwell on match day

A violent 46-year-old dad-of-three who targeted a visiting football fan in Motherwell in front of the lad’s distraught mother has been jailed for 15 months.
Darren MansonDarren Manson
Darren Manson

Darren Manson and his mother, Nicky, were walking back to Motherwell train station when Scott Notman attacked him – leaving him in hospital with a broken jaw.

Last month, Notman pleaded guilty to assaulting Darren - aged 22 at the time - to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment. At Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday, Sheriff Thomas Millar jailed Notman for 15 months for what he described as a “totally unprovoked” assault.

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Ms Manson, 47 and her son, now 24, were walking from Fir Park Stadium to the train station following their team’s 2-1 win against Motherwell when they were approached in an underpass by a gang of teenage ‘Well fans who started taunting them. She told them to “shut up, silly wee boys” but said one of them pushed her son before another punched him in the face.

The pair then walked out of the underpass but Ms Manson said she heard the noise of her son being punched before turning round to see him kneeling on the ground and pouring blood from his mouth.

They struggled to the train station and travelled to Glasgow but by this point, Darren was in agony and the pair took a taxi to A&E. He was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for specialist treatment.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard previously that, nearly two years on, he still has numbness in his lower lip and a scar on his cheek from the operation.

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Notman was arrested after being caught on CCTV running into the underpass. He admitted what he'd done to his partner and made Facebook posts about the incident.

The court also heard previously that after punching his victim, Notman, a bragged: “That’s how it’s done, boys, that’s how it’s done.”

"I would have jailed you for 18 months, but will restrict that to 15 months because of your guilty plea.This was a totally unprovoked attack on a young man walking with his mother.

"He suffered severe physical injuries and has also been left with mental health difficulties."