Seghill in Northumberland only has a population of about 2,950 people, so it’s exactly the sort of place where you’d find some plonker whose entire identity revolves around being the hardest man who lives there.
Unfortunately, Stuart McGregor, 32, was so keen to prove his reputation in the village that he beat up two women who asked if he could move his van from outside their drive.
The two women had just celebrated the daughter getting keys to her new family home with a family lunch, before returning home around 11pm on July 28.
Upon arrival, they found McGregor’s van blocking their drive, and when asked to move the vehicle, he said, ‘Who do you think you are, gangsters, with your eight cars?’
He then launched an attack on the daughter, punching her repeatedly before turning on the mum as she tried to intervene.
Prosecutor Kate Barnes said: ‘The defendant continued moving towards her and the next thing she can remember is being on the floor with the defendant on top of her, punching her to the face.’
‘She felt she was going to pass out as he did that. He began aggressively shouting at her, saying, “You don’t know who you are dealing with, I’m the hardest man in Seghill.”‘
What a tough guy. McGregor also yanked the daughter’s hair, ripping out a large chunk before retreating back to his house.
At Newcastle Crown Court, McGregor admitted intentional strangulation and assault, causing actual bodily harm on the daughter and to common assault on the mum. The court also heard that McGregor has mental health issues (you don’t say), but worked in the Seghill area as a ‘highly qualified and skilled’ hydraulic engineer.
McGregor, who has 11 previous convictions, has now been jailed for 16 months and is banned from contacting his victims. He must also pay £1,000 in damages. Doesn’t really seem like the type of guy who would learn his lesson after a 12th conviction (especially with such a lenient sentence ), but I’m sure he’ll find out whether he’s the hardest man in whichever prison he ends up, after they discover what he’s in for.
For the man in Waluigi costume who bottled a woman in the face at a fancy dress party, click HERE.
