A 23-year-old Methil man assaulted his uncle with a baseball bat and kicked him on the head as he lay on the ground.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday, George Blackwood admitted carrying out the attack on John Blackwood outside his uncle’s home in May last year.
Blackwood, armed with a baseball bat, confronted his uncle in Rowan Crescent, Methil, over a dispute regarding his treatment of the accused’s family members.
Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said the complainer made an attempt to get to his front door and then blacked out. Mr Kapadia said: “He next became aware of himself lying in his garden, being hit to the head and body.”
Blackwood repeatedly struck his uncle on the body with a baseball bat and then repeatedly kicked him on the head and body as he lay on the ground.
John Blackwood was left with extensive facial fractures, including a fractured nose, a fracture to both eye sockets, a black eye, a bruised stomach and his teeth had pierced through his lip. He was also left with permanent scarring under an eye as a result of the attack.
Mr Kapadia added that the accused claimed he armed himself with a baseball bat for self-defence, in case the complainer got the better of him.
He described how his uncle was screaming during the attack and that he kicked him in order to get him to stop. Blackwood told police that his uncle was still screaming when he walked away.
Sheriff Max Hendry warned Blackwood that he faced a likely jail sentence the next time he returned to court.
He said: “You’ve effectively taken it upon yourself to act as some sort of vigilante, acting as judge and jury. Civilised society does not tolerate that type of behaviour.”
Blackwood, of Kirke Park, Methil, admitted that on May 14 he assaulted John Blackwood, repeatedly struck him on the body with a baseball bat, pulled him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him on the head and body, all to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
He was released on bail and sentence was deferred for reports.