A street drinker battered a man over the head with a glass bottle during a rammy at notorious troublespot off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Graham Ferguson left his victim bleeding heavily after launching the vicious attack in Hunter Square.
The 52-year-old appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday and admitted a charge of assaulting the unidentified man to his injury.
Ferguson claimed the man had earlier been aggressive and brandished a knife at him.
Hunter Square in the city’s Old Town built up a reputation over the years for attracting street drinkers and occasional violence.
Fiscal depute Heather Carmichael said the incident had occurred at around 9.40pm when a number of street drinkers, including Ferguson, were present.
She said door stewards at a nearby pub saw a “quarrel” break out amongst the group that “became more heated”.
Ms Carmichael said CCTV from the area captured Ferguson “strike the unknown complainer on the head with a bottle”.
He struck two blows, she said, before the bottle was seized by another group member and smashed following the assault on July 10 last year.
The court was told the door stewards ran over to assist the victim and found he was “bleeding substantially” from a gash to his head above his hairline.
Witnesses offered to call an ambulance, Ms Carmichael added, but the victim left the scene after being given first aid.
Defence agent Mary Moultrie said the victim was known “casually” to her client, and had been “consistently aggressive during the day”.
She said the man had brandished a blade at Ferguson, and made various threats and allegations against him before the assault.
Ms Moultrie said: “Mr Ferguson accepts he should not have done it.”
Sheriff Kenneth Campbell QC deferred sentence until next month for reports.
