Shocked neighbours heard an Angus man beating his drinking buddy with a walking stick in a “nasty” Brechin assault.
Gerard Taylor repeatedly hit and prodded pal John West in the incident after a January drinking session, leaving his victim with five one-inch cuts on his head.
Taylor will be sentenced next month following the preparation of a criminal justice report but was remanded in custody by Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar for the January attack.
The court was told that the accused and his victim regularly socialise together and neighbours had heard them arguing on previous occasions.
At about 9pm on January 29, a neighbour of Taylor’s on the town’s Union Street heard the sound of a disturbance and the accused shouting at West.
In response, the victim was heard to plead: “Ged, please don’t, please don’t.”
The front door of the flat was open and a witness saw the accused striking West with the walking stick before prodding him with it and telling the complainer to get out.
Taylor was then seen walking with the stick over his shoulder and West came down the landing of the flats. His head was covered in blood and he appeared to be staggering across the hallway.
The accused prodded his pal in the back and then witnesses heard several thuds of the walking stick striking the walls of the hallway.
A neighbour remained at their door and saw West being hit several more times in the ground floor hallway. Several witnesses heard West pleading with the accused to drop the stick and stop hitting him.
One resident dialled 999 and police and an ambulance attended. Police found the walking stick with traces of blood on it and West was taken to hospital where five one-inch wounds had to be glued.
Defence solicitor Hamish Watt said the pair were “drinking buddies” and alcohol had played a major part in the incident.
He told the court his 54-year-old client lives alone and is already receiving social work assistance.
Continuing the case until April 16, Sheriff Murray said: “The assault on Mr West was nasty.”