Ex-soldier who drove van at doorman in murder bid jailed

An Army veteran who tried to murder a doorman by striking him with a van after he was refused entry to a nightclub has been jailed for five years.

Alan Adsley was involved in a confrontation after being turned away from Kitty’s in Kirkcaldy, Fife, before returning in a van and driving it towards Michael Harbison.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told him: “This was a revenge attack using your van as a weapon.”

Lady Scott said that Adsley accepted that he felt “aggrieved and angry” after he was struck and injured outside the club.

The court heard that the 38-year-old former soldier now appeared to be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder following 14 years in the Army including four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lady Scott told him: “I urge you to use your time in prison and upon release to address the problems underlying your conduct.”

The judge told him that he must accept treatment for PTSD and added: “I am satisfied you can change. You have done so before. You have it in you.”

She ordered that Adsley should be under supervision for a further two year period and banned him from driving for five-and-a-half years.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson had urged leniency and asked the court to take account of his military service.

Mr Paterson said: “He did witness some horrific circumstances. He was involved in many situations which were problematic. He had friends who were killed and witnessed that as well.”

Adsley, formerly of Kirkcaldy, was earlier found guilty of attempting to murder Mr Harbison, 46, who was among staff working outside Kitty’s and an adjacent venue on March 14 last year, despite denying the offence.

He admitted a further charge of driving the van at Douglas Street, David Street and Hunter Street, in Kirkcaldy, while unfit through drink.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard QC told jurors at the trial that they might think that the victim was “a very lucky man” to escape without serious injury following the works van attack.

Mr Harbison was facing away from the direction that Adsley was driving at him when he mounted a pavement in the vehicle and struck him.

Mr Goddard said the attacker had deliberately given the victim “no chance”.

Mr Harbison was forced up when he was struck before landing on the pavement. He told the court: “I was in the air.”

Adsley told the court that he was under the influence of drink at the time of the offence and had been drinking before he and another man went to Kitty’s that evening.

He said: “I was drunk, but I was stable on my feet. I could walk.”

He said he had made the “biggest mistake”. He claimed that returning in the van was “a scare tactic” and added: “I didn’t at any point intend to hurt anyone.”

Another witness, who was among door staff, said that when the pair arrived at the premises they had too much to drink in his view and were refused entry.

He said threats were made to carry out a stabbing, commit rape and blow up a house and during a confrontation Adsley was punched.

Adsley left the scene but minutes later a white van appeared and mounted the pavement and hit Mr Harbison.

The attempted murder attack was caught on CCTV and footage of the incident was shown to the jury at Adsley’s trial .