A jury has found a Fife man guilty of attempting to murder a Methil man and leaving him with serious brain damage.
John Todd (31), a prisoner at Edinburgh, had thrown John Anthony Moffat against a set of stairs whereby he had hit his head, before further assaulting him so badly he was left in a coma.
The jury at the High Court in Dundee took just over two hours to find Todd guilty of repeatedly punching, pushing and stamping on Mr Moffat, all to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment, to the danger of his life and in an attempt to murder him. The offences happened on June 21 at Taylor Street, Methil.
During the trial the court heard Mr Moffat remains in Cameron Hospital with severe brain damage, and is seriously affected by a multitude of injuries.
He was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, with a severe head injury. He also had a chest injury, several fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, which were life-threatening without treatment.
He was in intensive care until July 13, when he was transferred to a ward. Mr Moffat required help with breathing until July 20 and remains in hospital, unable to swallow and is fed through a tube.
He is incontinent and has problems with his vision, memory, speech and limbs, has no movement in his left arm and cannot walk unaided. He also has cognitive problems and asks about his dead brother and father, believing them to be alive.
The court heard the assault happened after Mr Moffat had turned up at his partner’s flat armed with knives, believing something was going on between her and Todd.
Lord Pentland deferred sentence on Todd until the High Court sitting in Edinburgh on January 5 and remanded him in custody.