Woman left 'afraid to go back' to theatre after alleged assault at Jersey Boys show

A woman has told a court that she is too afraid to go to the theatre after claiming she was attacked following a Jersey Boys show.

Catherine Malcolm stated that she was set upon by Ann Gillespie, 52, at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre on April 19 2022.

The 56-year-old claimed matters arose after she criticised Gillespie and her group for making noise during the performance.

She told a court that her t-shirt and necklace were pulled and she suffered a fingernail mark to her neck.

Mrs Malcolm added that she saw co-accused Lorna Carmichael, 43, on top of her retired police officer husband Alistair Malcolm who was curled in a ball and ended up bleeding.

Gillespie and Carmichael are on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court accused of separate charges of assault.

The pair, of the city’s Garthamlock and Germiston, are also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The court heard from Mrs Malcolm who said she attended the performance with her husband, sister-in-law and two daughters.

She claimed that she had words with women sat behind them at the end of the performance.

The witness claimed she said: ‘Thanks very much for spoiling the show.’

One of the women allegedly replied: ‘What do you f****** mean?’

Mrs Malcolm said: ‘You talked the whole way through it.’

The court heard claims the woman replied: ‘If we want to f****** talk, we will f****** talk.’

Mrs Malcolm claimed that Gillespie later signalled at her ‘come on’ from the bottom of the stairs at the exit.

The witness claimed that she grabbed a railing and sat down as she was aware that she was on a set of stairs while Gillespie came towards her.

She said: ‘It was almost as if she was pulling me - she pulled my t-shirt, she pulled my necklace.

‘I had fingernail marks to the top of my chest and I had a bit of blood on my mouth.’

Mrs Malcolm told the court that the incident lasted ‘seconds’.

The witness stated that she also became aware of her husband who was nearby.

She said: ‘He was curled up in a ball - I saw blood coming from his head.

‘The woman was lying on the top of my husband causing him to bleed.’

Prosecutor Gail Campbell asked Mrs Malcolm how she felt about the incident.

She replied: ‘Horrible - I think I have been to the theatre once since then - I am too afraid to go back.’

Neal McShane, defending Carmichael, put it to the witness that she did not mention the women swearing in her police statement.

The lawyer also asked if she saw her husband push anyone on the stairs which she denied.

She further refuted suggestions that she pushed a 70-year-old woman with Carmichael and Gillespie down stairs.

Atlanta Jack, defending Gillespie, put it to the witness that her client’s involvement was to put her hand up to stop Mrs Malcolm from intervening during the incident with her husband.

She replied: ‘You have seen the pictures, how did I get scratches?’

The trial continues in July before Sheriff David Taylor.