A 54-year-old man smashed his friend’s head with a fireside poker then ran off leaving him covered in blood.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Stuart Beattie, of Whitfield Avenue, carried out the attack on Darren Mills during a drunken early-hours brawl within a house at Rowanbank, Drumgeith.
The court heard Mr Mills was left needing hospital treatment to two wounds one on his scalp and one on the bridge of his nose which will both leave scarring.
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court Beattie and Mr Mills started fighting around 3am on August 23 after disagreeing about “minor matters”.
The fiscal said: “A witness tried to break up the accused and the complainer, who were exchanging blows, at which point she realised that the accused had a poker from the fireside in his hand.
“The accused thereafter struck the complainer twice on the head with the poker, then he ran from the house.
“The complainer was covered in blood and had injuries on his head.
“The witness attempted to stem the flow of blood while awaiting the arrival of an ambulance.”
Paramedics arrived and Mr Mills was taken to accident and emergency at Ninewells Hospital.
The fiscal continued: “Police officers also attended and noted the complainer had sustained injuries that were bleeding badly, and that there was a large amount of blood in the house.
“Officers traced the accused within his home address at 4.45am and detained him.
“The clothing he was wearing at the time of the assault was taken.
“It was noted that his blue, fleece jacket was blood stained.”
During a police interview, the court was told, Beattie stated that the pair had initially been exchanging “banter”, when the complainer ran at him and kicked him.
He said they then started “rolling about” and he retaliated by hitting him twice with the poker.
Beattie admitted that, on August 24 last year, at Rowanbank, Drumgeith, he assaulted Darren Mills by repeatedly striking him on the head with a fire poker, all to his injury and permanent disfigurement.
Sentence was deferred until May 26 for reports.
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