Dealership duo dish out rough justice to forecourt vandal

A father and son who took the law into their own hands and assaulted a man who had vandalised cars at their dealership have been fined thousands of pounds.

After security cameras captured a man pouring paint stripper onto cars at their Murray Motors forecourt in Fraserburgh, Gordon Murray and his son Morgan decided to dish out their own rough justice.

One week after the attack on their used car dealership, which caused thousands of pounds of damage, they went to the vandal's home, which he rented from Murray, and "battered" him.

The two Murrays were reported by a neighbour of the vandal, Roberto Tudora, and police also heard the assault as Tudora had dialled 999.

In the police recording, played to the court during the trial, Tudora could be heard repeatedly screaming for help amid aggressive background noise.

Tudora was left with a "massive lump" on his forehead, the prosecution claimed.  

After Gordon Murray, 66, and Morgan Murray, 32, were convicted of the attack by a jury's majority decision, Sheriff Craig Findlater at Peterhead Sheriff Court criticised them for not just "leaving it to the authorities".

Gordon Murray received a £6,350 fine while son Murray was ordered to pay £2,575.

The court was told the Murray Motors business had suffered due to the saga, and that Morgan Murray was soon due to be married and wanted to put the issue behind him.

In the period between the 2021 attack and the Murray duo's prosecution, Tudora pleaded guily to the vandalism and was sentenced to community service.