A man left part of his friend’s skull showing after battering him over the head with a baseball bat in a brutal attack.
Ryan Rosscraig, 33, of Court Street North, was jailed at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday for the vicious assault.
The court heard Rosscraig carried out the attack after a fallout with his friend David McMurchie.
The pair had arranged to meet at Mr McMurchie’s home at 6.30pm on August 1 last year so they could go for dinner.
But Rosscraig failed to show up on time and was not answering Mr McMurchie’s calls, following a change of plans, so Mr McMurchie decided to take a taxi to his friend’s home instead.
Fiscal depute Hansa Pertab said: “The complainer went into the close and went to the accused’s door and an argument ensued through the letterbox which resulted in him kicking the letterbox and turning to walk downstairs.
“At this time the accused located a baseball bat and ran out of the flat with it in hand.”
Mr McMurchie then heard footsteps and turned around to see Rosscraig holding the baseball bat.
The fiscal continued: “He (Rosscraig) raised the bat and struck him twice on the head.
“He felt dazed and had a large cut on his head and called 999.
“The complainer was treated in the ambulance and taken to Ninewells Hospital where he had lacerations to his scalp.
“One measured seven centimetres and the surface of his skull was visible at the base of the wound.”
Rosscraig admitted a charge on indictment of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement, at Court Street North on August 1 last year.
Defence agent Theo Finlay urged Sheriff Tom Hughes to keep his client out of jail, despite the severity of the offence.
He insisted: “He’s not generally a violent man.
“A restriction of liberty order and supervision would be a robust alternative to custody.”
But Sheriff Hughes said he saw no alternative to custody.
He jailed Rosscraig for a total of one year and eight months.
The sheriff said: “This is a very serious charge.
“It was one where you used a baseball bat to assault another person.
“He was left injured and permanently disfigured.
“Because of the nature of the offence it will carry a custodial sentence.”
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