Two Highland teenagers who attacked men and women in a spree of violence have been told to prepare for jail.
Grant-Finlay McPhee, 19, and a 17-year-old boy took part in two incidents involving assaults in Oban and Fort William.
The younger teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also admitted his role in a separate incident at a Fort William playpark.
The case against the teenagers will be resolved in just over a month and a sheriff at Inverness Sheriff Court told them to expect a lengthy prison sentence.
In total, there were three incidents.
McPhee, of Angus Crescent, Fort William, was involved in two and the 17-year-old was involved in all three.
The first incident
The first incident unfolded on George Street, Oban, on October 19 2022.
A man had a glass bottle smashed over his head.
He was repeatedly punched to his permanent disfigurement.
Another victim suffered a rain of blows to his head and body.
The second incident
The second incident happened in the beer garden of The Great Glen Wetherspoon’s bar on High Street, Fort William, on January 13 2023.
During the incident, a man was in the beer garden where he was repeatedly stamped on.
He was also punched on the head and body and hit on the head and body with a metal chair.
That left him unconscious to his severe injury and danger of his life.
A woman was also punched on the head and body in the same incident.
McPhee and the younger teen each admitted four offences in relation to those two incidents.
The younger teen also admitted assaulting a woman in the beer garden disturbance by kicking her on the body.
The third incident
The third incident took place in or near a playpark between Alma Road and Victoria Road, Fort William, on March 5 2023.
The incident involved only the younger teen. McPhee was not involved in any way.
The younger teen’s victims were a young male who was repeatedly struck on the head.
He also had his upper clothing pulled up and was then bitten on the shoulder, causing him injury.
A female was also repeatedly punched on the head to her injury.
The younger teen admitted two charges in connection with this incident – taking his total of guilty pleas to five, while McPhee admitted his guilt to four charges.
A trial had been due to take place this week but was cancelled after the pair pled guilty.
The fiscal depute did not provide more information about the three incidents.
Those details will instead be heard in a hearing at the same court on November 5 later this year.
In the meantime, social workers will write background reports on both the teens for the consideration of Sheriff Gary Aitken, who will sentence the teens.
During Monday’s hearing, Sheriff Aitken said: “I will continue their bail meantime but neither of them should be remotely hopeful of getting anything other than a custodial sentence.”
Addressing the teens directly, he added: “Prepare yourselves for a lengthy custodial sentence.
“This was a string of violence and behaviour of this kind is utterly unacceptable.”
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