Court selfie brothers jailed for 'brutal and sustained' attack Published duration 22 March 2017

image copyright Kingdom News Agency image caption Craig and Graham Cavin's court selfie caused their trial to be delayed

Two brothers who posted a selfie from the steps of a court where they were on trial for a serious assault have been jailed for the attack.

Craig and Graham Cavin carried out the "brutal and sustained" assault on Charles Lamont at his nephew's christening party in Dundee.

A jury found the two men guilty after a five-day trial at the city's sheriff court.

Sheriff Tom Hughes told the brothers they had acted like "animals".

The court selfie and comments posted below it relating to the case led to the trial being delayed by a day as lawyers investigated.

'Unprovoked assault'

Graham Cavin, 19, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years detention and his 26-year-old brother jailed for three years and nine months.

Craig Cavin also admitted carrying out a baseball bat attack in Dundee city centre in a separate incident.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the trial that the christening party at Downfield Junior FC social club had been "a lovely happy day" until the incident.

She said Mr Lamont had become unhappy with the way Mark Leggatt, who was cleared of any involvement in the assault during the trial, had been dancing with his mother.

The fiscal said Mr Lamont confronted Mr Leggatt, who later "went on and on" about his behaviour.

Miss Robertson said Craig Cavin who was a friend of Mr Leggatt later launched a "completely unprovoked assault on the dancefloor" on Mr Lamont.

She said: "At this stage numerous other men, including Graham Cavin, get involved and subject Charles Lamont to a brutal, sustained and violent assault that leads the group across the room and ultimately out of the back door as Charles tries to escape."

'Worthless comments'

Sentencing the two men, Sheriff Hughes told them: "You were in the sheriff court on trial before a jury.

"Were you taking that seriously? I think not.

"You were outside court taking selfies, posting stuff on Facebook, making comments during the course of the trial which caused problems to the court because of your stupid behaviour."

Sheriff Hughes said he was "not taken in" by the "worthless comments" from the brothers in social work reports prepared for the case.

He said: "During the incident you acted like animals - it was like a nature programme where a pack descends on its prey and attacks."