An unemployed landscape gardener has admitting hitting a man on the head with a baseball bat during a drunken attack in a north-east town.
Euan Faithfull targeted Geordan Grant with the weapon in the car park of Fraserburgh Leisure Centre on November 28 last year.
Faithfull’s co-accused Matthew McAtasney admitted assaulting Alastair Thompson by punching him on the head and placing him in a headlock.
Peterhead Sheriff Court was told Mr Grant and Mr Thompson were sitting inside a car when the assault took place at the Seaforth Street facility.
Fiscal depute Gavin Thomson said the four men knew each other from college.
He said Mr Grant and Thompson were parked up when another car pulled up and saw Faithfull and McAtasney get out of the vehicle.
Mr Thomson said: “Faithfull was seen with a baseball bat in his hand and shouted ‘get out the car’.
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“Faithfull hit Geordan Grant with the baseball bat with a stabbing motion. He got out of the car and was dazed. He began walking towards the back of the car park.
“McAtasaney then began assaulting Mr Thompson by punching and kicking him. He placed him in a headlock.
“Witnesses attempted to split up the fight.
“Mr Grant appeared to have blacked out and he remembers walking up next to a skip.
“Mr Thompson suffered minor scratches as a result.”
Defence agent Marianne Milligan said Faithfull did not remember carrying out the crime as he and McAtasaney had been drinking.
She said: “He has no recollection of what was happening.
“They had both been out drinking and were both very drunk. He (Faithfull) is absolutely disgusted at being in court.
“He is currently unemployed but hopes to resume work as a landscape gardener in April.”
But Sheriff Christine McCrossan refused to accept that Faithfull could not remember the attack.
She said: “I cannot believe you know nothing about this. You have a very serious problem.
“I want you to think about your situation.”
Sheriff McCrossan deferred sentence on Faithfull and McAtasney for criminal justice social work reports. They will appear return to the dock next month.
Faithfull, of Heatherview, Boyndie, pled guilty to two charges of assault to injury and being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
McAtasney, of Skelton Street, Peterhead, pled guilty to a single charge of assault to injury.