A man who agreed to meet at an Inverness cemetery for a “one-on-one” fight was jumped by six men and left with a fractured skull and his finger hanging off.
Scott Hunter, 39, arranged the “square go” with his victim at Tomnahurich Cemetery in Inverness but when the man showed up he was attacked by half a dozen men, including Hunter.
The man was beaten so badly that he suffered four fractures to his skull and was left with the end of his index finger hanging on by one tendon.
Hunter, 39, admitted assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Not guilty pleas to assault charges from two other men were accepted by the Crown.
Fiscal depute Susan Love told the court that the incident took place on December 28 of 2019, after animosity between the two men came to a head.
‘Covered in blood’
Police were initially alerted by a member of the public who reported “a large fight” in the cemetery and a person “lying on the ground covered in blood”.
When officers went to investigate they found red staining in “two large pools”.
Shortly after another call was received from a woman reporting that her partner had been assaulted.
The man was taken to Raigmore Hospital. He was reluctant to speak to officers but did reveal that he had gone to the cemetery to “meet for a fight”.
Ms Love said: “They had arranged to meet at the cemetery one-on-one for a ‘square go’ and shake hands afterwards.
“However when he arrived he had been jumped by six males including the accused.”
The court heard a weapon “like a hammer” had been used.
The man gave further details in a later police interview.
“He advised that he had attended the cemetery and when he had arrived he had been speaking to another when he was hit on the back of the head,” said Ms Love.
“The accused had then come out of nowhere and kicked him on the head causing him to fall backwards and he ended up lying on his back.
“The accused and another had then began kicking him repeatedly on the head whilst another hit him repeatedly on the head with a dumb-bell.
“When attempting to defend his face the dumb-bell had struck his right hand.”
Attacker asked ‘how he liked it’?
The court heard that during the assault Hunter was shouting at the man and asking him “how he liked it”.
The assault stopped at one point but resumed when the man tried to get up.
Eventually, he became aware of his attackers no longer being there and fled back to his partner’s home, holding onto his finger.
The man was left with four fractures to his skull and four cuts to his head that required stitching. His right eye and nose were both fractured.
He also suffered three broken fingers.
“The end of his index finger was hanging on with one tendon and required surgery to be reattached,” Ms Love said.
He has been left with scarring to his hand and head and limited mobility in his right hand.
Solicitor Patrick O’Dea, for Hunter, told the court that his client had “a history of mental health difficulties” but reserved his comments in mitigation for the sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Robert Frazer deferred sentence to next month for the production of a criminal justice social work report and remanded Hunter in custody in the meantime.