A man bludgeoned his pal with a crowbar, before striking him with a meat cleaver, during a vicious, drug-fuelled attack at a Dundee multi.
James Donnelly robbed Michael Mason of his bus pass and cash, before ordering him to leave his flat.
Mr Mason was later found battered, bruised and collapsed on his sofa by his housing officer.
Donnelly, 41, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted the grisly September 2020 assault.
He will be sentenced later this summer.
Crowbar and cleaver attack
Fiscal depute Calum Gordon said Mr Mason arrived at Bonnethill Court alone at around 8.45pm with the intention of procuring drugs.
He met Donnelly and went into his flat, where they consumed drugs together.
“The accused has, without warning, continued for some time repeatedly striking the complainer with a crowbar to his body and striking his body with a meat cleaver once,” Mr Gordon said.
Donnelly robbed Mr Mason of £90 cash, a mobile phone, a bus pass and a set of keys, before demanding he leave.
The court heard Mr Mason arrived home at 3am.
He was discovered by his housing officer on the sofa five hours later.
Mr Mason was taken to hospital and police were contacted.
Officers found the crowbar and meat cleaver at Donnelly’s flat.
They contained the DNA of both men.
Mr Mason had bruises and abrasions on his body and lacerations on both arms.
He also had a cut on his hands and fingers and a puncture wound on one palm.
His wounds were closed with Steri-Strips.
Guilty plea, prison warning
Donnelly admitted that on September 21 and 22 in 2020, he assaulted Michael Mason to his injury at his former flat in Bonnethill Court, Dundee.
He repeatedly struck Mr Mason on the body with a crowbar and struck him once on the body with a meat cleaver, the charge stated.
Donnelly admitted a second charge of robbery.
The court heard he has previous convictions for possessing weapons.
Earlier in proceedings, Donnelly spent 162 days on remand, over multiple short stays in prison.
Donnelly, now of Ann Street in Dundee, will return to be sentenced on July 4 after Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown called for background reports.
The sheriff said: “In respect of a matter such as this, a custodial sentence is definitely an option.”
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