A man downed a litre of vodka before carrying out an attack with a hammer, a court heard.
Walter Johnston was jailed after Cupar Sheriff Court heard he left his victim lying in a pool of blood.
The 42-year-old, of Hawthorn Terrace in Thornton, told police he had struck William Maxwell “twice with the hammer” but said he was so drunk he could not even remember how he came to be in possession of the weapon.
Laura McLaughlin, depute fiscal, said Johnston had been drinking at home when his daughter and some of her friends turned up at the door.
“They were all consuming alcohol when, at about 12.30am, Mr Maxwell started banging on the door,” she told the court. “The complainer was demanding to be let in. The accused looked through the letterbox and told him to go away.”
But Mr Maxwell continued to bang on the door and, according to Ms McLaughlin, eventually hurled a Hoover at it.
“At this point Mr Johnston himself called the police,” she continued.
However, Mr Maxwell continued to demand entry and eventually Johnston’s daughter left the property and began to argue with him outside. The accused soon followed and began to fight with Mr Maxwell.
“He then struck him with a hammer,” Ms McLaughlin said. “Neighbours had heard the row and, on looking outside, saw Mr Maxwell lying on the ground. The accused was then seen to walk away.”
Once the accused had gone, hurling the hammer over a fence as he went, one neighbour ventured out to tend to Mr Maxwell.
“He had blood on his face and hands … and was taken to hospital in Dunfermline,” the depute fiscal continued. “He received an X-ray which showed he had not suffered any fractures as a result of being struck with the hammer.”
The court heard that, when questioned by police, Johnston said, “I hit him twice with the hammer on the side. I don’t know where the hammer came from.”
Johnston’s solicitor said his client had drunk a litre of vodka prior to the incident.
The accused admitted that, on March 12, at Hawthorn Terrace, he assaulted William Maxwell, striking him on the body with a hammer.
Sheriff Charles Macnair sentenced Johnston to 235 days in prison.
“An assault of this nature with a weapon such as a hammer cannot be tolerated,” the sheriff told him. “Attacks like this can cause very substantial injuries … and I can see no alternative to a custodial sentence in this case.”