Thug pulled a spiked Russian police baton on a doorman after being refused entry to an Edinburgh nightclub

A thug pulled a spiked Russian police baton on a doorman after being refused entry to an Edinburgh nightclub.
The Hive nightclub.The Hive nightclub.
The Hive nightclub.

Brian Nicholson, 49, waved the extendable baton at bouncer Mohammed Salahuddin outside the entrance to The Hive nightclub last year.

Nicholson arrived drunk and after he was refused entry by the door staff he became violent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He began shouting and swearing before grabbing at the steward’s body security camera.

Mr Salahuddin then pushed the thug away and Nicholson reached in to his jacket and pulled out the foot-long Russian police stick.

He then called the bouncer “a f***g ****” before waving the spiked baton at him.

Colleagues rushed to help and Nicholson was soon restrained and disarmed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Police were called and Nicholson, of Rutherford Drive, Edinburgh, was arrested and spent seven days in custody.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the baton was made of metal with a rubber handle and had a spike on the end.

Nicholsonpleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and brandishing the weapon.

Fiscal depute Clare Kennedy told the court Nicholson arrived at The Hive nightclub at the city’s Niddry Street on September 28 last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Kennedy said Nicholson was told he was not being admitted due being “too intoxicated” and after rowing with the steward he made a grab for the the man’s body camera before producing the weapon.

She said the baton was “made of metal with a rubber handle and around one foot in length” and that the weapon “had a metal spike on the end”.

Lawyer Murray Robertson, defending, said the baton “came to a point at the end” rather than being spiked but admitted the offence was ”a serious matter”.

Mr Robertson described the weapon as “a Russian police baton” but said that during the disturbing confrontation there had been “no effort to extend the baton” by Nicholson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sheriff Douglas Keir deferred sentence for reports and a restriction of liberty assessment to next month.

Nicholson admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and brandishing a spiked baton at Mohammed Salahuddin and attempting to enter The Hive in Edinburgh on September 28 last year.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.