A hysterical 999 call made seconds after a vicious assault with a weapon mentioned the name of the man accused of the attack, a court heard yesterday.
Teenager Elizabeth Jones from Alness who had been out drinking in Inverness with her 20-year-old uncle Sky Urquhart in February this year when he was punched, kicked and stamped upon.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that the pair were walking across the Greig Street Bridge to go to a party when Mr Urquhart was punched to the ground by 22-year-old Ian Grant, a former boyfriend of Ms Jones.
He was with another man Greg Stewart and his girlfriend, Shannon Shaw from Inverness.
As Mr Urquhart was being struck twice on the head and body by the police-style asp or baton, Ms Jones was heard to tearfully name Grant as his assailant to a police emergency operator.
She said his head was pouring with blood and he wasn’t moving.
She told a jury: “I thought he was dead. There was blood everywhere.”
Grant denies assaulting Mr Urquhart to his severe injury in the early hours of February 18.
Miss Jones said: “We all met in Inverness and were drinking in different pubs. We were walking across the bridge to go to a party.”
She said there had been no disagreement or warning when Grant started punching her uncle.
“Ian started jumping on his head with both feet. He started to run away and then came back with a silver bat and started hitting Sky with it. Then I phoned the police.”
The assault was witnessed by 51 year old science technician Lesley Frame who saw the incident from her living room window.
Mr Urquhart said he didn’t know why he was assaulted.
“Ian punched me more than once on the head and I fell straight down. Then I felt something being stamped on my head. I assumed it was Ian.”
Mr Urquhart sustained two head injuries, cuts, bruises and had a swollen eye and ears.
The trial continues.