A teenager has admitted a Halloween horror punch which left a fellow partygoer with a broken cheekbone.
Stewart Douglas lost the plot in a row over a missing mobile phone and delivered a blow to Kristopher McIntosh which left the 19-year-old requiring surgery to reposition the broken bone.
Douglas will return to court to be sentenced next month after admitting assaulting Mr McIntosh to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement at a house on Bellies Brae, Kirriemuir, on November 2 last year.
The 19-year-old apprentice joiner’s indictment appearance at Forfar was his first run-in with the law apart from a fiscal fine for vandalism, the sheriff court heard.
Depute fiscal Joanne Smith said Douglas had been among a group of people who had gone to the Halloween house party around 12.30am.
Around 3am one of the accused’s friends misplaced a mobile phone and a verbal confrontation with Mr McIntosh took place.
“He was sitting down and the accused punched him with force to the left side of his face,” said the fiscal.
The party came to an abrupt end and the victim was helped to his mother’s home before being taken to accident and emergency at Ninewells Hospital, complaining of jaw pain and blurred vision.
X-rays revealed a broken left cheekbone and the victim underwent surgery soon after.
“He has been left with a one- centimetre permanent scar as a result,” added the fiscal.
Defence solicitor Julie Young reserved her plea in mitigation until sentencing on October 1, following the preparation of criminal justice social work reports.
Douglas, of South Street, Kirriemuir, was granted bail.