Two young men who carried out a baseball attack on a man in his own home were sent to custody on Thursday.
Kieran Milne and Andrew Keith left their victim with wounds to his eyebrow and head, which required a total of 10 stitches after a party atmosphere turned sour.
Milne (19), of Osprey Road, and Keith (20), Southesk Street, both Montrose, appeared before Sheriff Kevin Veal at Forfar on Thursday, where they admitted assaulting the man by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a wooden bat and stamping on his body, while on bail.
Keith also pleaded guilty to assaulting another man by punching him on the head in the Hillview, Brechin, incident last October.
The court heard Keith had been socialising with the victim during that evening, but left the property shortly before midnight.
Around half an hour later, there was a knock on the door and when the complainer opened it he was met by the accused and hit on the head and body with the bat.
Another man who was sitting in the flat with his back to the door was also punched two or three times.
Keith then stretched his arms out and told those in the flat “Come on, then”. At that point the first victim was still rolled up on the ground trying to protect himself and, although witnesses noticed that the baseball bat had been snapped in half, Keith went to the front door and stamped on him.
Defence agent Nick Markwoski said unemployed Milne had a very limited recollection of that night.
“He wasn’t initially at the party but has a vague recollection of his friend being upset and various text messages being exchanged. A misguided sense of loyalty has then taken him back to the party.”
Keith’s agent, Angela McLardy, said her client was a first offender and became involved in an incident that “spiralled completely out of control”.
Sheriff Veal ordered Milne to spend six months in a young offenders’ institution and Keith four months,
“To return to someone’s home and attack them with a bat is a matter of great significance,” he said.
“Milne has eleven previous convictions and was on bail. Notwithstanding a lack of record for Keith, it was a serious matter and I see no alternative to custody,” said Sheriff Veal.