Party ends in violence as man suffers head injuries

bloodied man had to be stretchered from the Rossie Place property off Easter Road, after a fight erupted at a busy party spilling out into the common stair.

An ambulance spokeswoman said a 21-year-old male had been taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary “conscious and breathing” following an incident at around 1.30am on Saturday. It is understood he sustained “serious head injuries” in a brawl.

Sources say police were confronted with a “very bloody” scene. Today, police said the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening.

One neighbour described the scene as a “party that became full of neds and quickly escalated out of control”.

“It was a housewarming and I think the new tenants had only moved in there for one day,” he said.

“There had been a lot of noise coming from the flat, in the stairwell and out on the street from early on Friday evening with lots of people coming and going. There was lots of banging going on, not so much music, but I would imagine that the flat has been trashed after it all.”

He said he left his flat to escape the din but returned a few hours later to find the street swarming with police.

“All I heard was that someone was seriously hurt and taken away on a stretcher,” he said. “I knew something pretty serious had went on and not just rowdy antisocial behaviour because when I came back to my house there were about six police cars parked outside and around ten officers asking questions.

“They were here most of the night taking statements. I was even accompanied up to my flat by one officer.”

Another resident, who asked for anonymity, said he was battered by drunken revellers causing chaos in the stairwell.

“I heard a big crash like glass had smashed in the landing and came out,” he said. “I told some guys coming down the stair from the party to get out and was laid into. I was then hit by another group coming up the stairs but then managed to get back into my flat.

“Later someone was stretchered out of the flat and fighting had spilled out on to the street.” He added: “Apparently it was a housewarming party. I just hope they aren’t still there because I can’t be bothered having to deal with all this again.”

Neighbours also believe police may have used a battering ram to gain entry to the party flat. A heavily dented front door that had been taken off its hinges could be seen lying at a street bin near the property the day after the disturbance and may have been temporarily replaced with steel shutters.

One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: “At about 1am we heard a lot of banging over and over again. It may have been police bashing the door in. It is a bad street for parties, there is always something going on.”

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating a serious assault in Rossie Place on August 27. Officers are currently following a positive line of inquiry.”

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