Man head-butted dad on to subway track seconds before train

A man head butted a dad on to a track moments before a subway arrived.

David Russell, 27, lunged at Brian Cleary, 53, who ended up sprawled dangerously close to a live 600-volt rail.

The victim had been standing with his 22-year-old daughter Kirsti at Glasgow’s Buchanan Street underground station at the time on August 17, 2019.

Postman Mr Cleary had confronted a friend of Russell for calling him a “paedo” when he was then attacked.

Dramatic footage showed a stricken Mr Cleary on the track fearing for his life just ten seconds before a subway turned. He was palled to safety.

Russell faced jail after he pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to assaulting the victim to his injury, impairment and danger of life.

But, he was instead ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work and tagged for six months meaning he must stay at home between 8pm and 5am each day.

Sheriff Joan Kerr told him: “Due to your violence that day, serious consequences have been had for Mr Cleary.

“You inflected an injury and it would have been terrifying for him and his family.

“It must be terrifying for when he looks back at the incident.”

Mr Cleary and his daughter had been at a football match before heading home by subway.

A drunk Russell and friends were standing on the platform closeby.

Prosecutor John Bedford said: “One of the group, not Russell, shouted ‘paedo’ in the direction of Mr and Miss Cleary.

“There was an exchange of words between the Clearys and the group of males making mention to Dundee prior to the word paedo being shouted.

“Mr Cleary approached the group to ask why they shouted that with his daughter closely behind.

“As he got to the group, Russell came from the back and immediately head butted Mr Cleary causing him to fall backwards directly onto the subway track.”

Other commuters rushed to help Mr Cleary who drifted in and out of consciousness. His daughter was meantime in hysterics.

Mr Bedford added: “Mr Cleary was helped up to the platform at 21:37:08 and the train is seen arriving at the platform at 21:37:18.”

Mr Cleary was taken to hospital for treatment for wounds and multiple bruises.

He luckily suffered no major injuries, but has been left with numbness in one of his fingers.

Mr Bedford said: “There is potential to be killed if a person was to come into contact with this rail or seriously injured.”

Callum Ross, defending, told the court that Russell – a whisky cooper of Stepps, North Lanarkshire – was extremely remorseful.

The lawyer added: “It was just a split second that brings him here and he recognises that – he is not suffering from fool’s paradise.”