A Brechin man who battered a Pole in a local public park will be sentenced for the brutal attack next month.
Trevor Harrison came across his victim drinking vodka in open ground near Nursery Lane last June but an argument over an accusation that the 31-year-old had slept with his victim’s wife escalated into violence.
Appearing before Sheriff Pino Di Emidio at Forfar, Harrison, of Argyle Street in Brechin, admitted an indictment alleging the June 6 assault on Krzystof Cherubin, in which he repeatedly punched and kicked him on the face and body to his severe injury.
Depute fiscal Joanne Smith told the court Harrison’s victim was a 32-year-old Pole who had been in Scotland for three years at the time of the incident but was not known to the accused.
At about midday, the victim had left his home to go to Brechin town centre, where he bought two bottles of vodka and some lager.
Mr Cherubin had stopped in the park area and drunk one bottle of vodka when Harrison passed by and he tried to engage the accused in conversation but he was unable to understand him.
The fiscal said a heated discussion then erupted regarding the complainer’s wife and the belief that the accused may have slept with her, which Harrison denied.
“Matters escalated, whereby the complainer and the accused struggled with each other and ended up on the ground,” said the fiscal.
Harrison then repeatedly punched and kicked his victim on the head and body.
Witnesses saw the incident and heard the complainer screaming. When one told Harrison to stop the assault, he replied using offensive language.
The victim’s face was covered in blood and he was eventually helped home by a witness, the court heard.
Mr Cherubin went to Brechin Infirmary, where it was discovered he had suffered bruising to his arms, shoulders and lower back, broken teeth and broken ribs.
The court was told that Harrison has previous convictions for assault to injury, disorder and the misuse of drugs act.
His record includes a High Court conviction for assault, for which he was ordered to carry out community service, and a sheriff court sentence of three months’ imprisonment, also for assault.
At the time of this latest offence, he was subject to a community payback order, the fiscal added.
Defence solicitor Brian Bell said that in light of the accused’s age and previous record, it was not a legal requirement for background reports to be prepared before sentencing but he invited Sheriff Pino Di Emidio to obtain a criminal justice social work assessment.
The sheriff noted that Harrison had a “significant previous record” and deferred sentence until April 16 for reports. Harrison’s bail was continued.