The victim of an assault outside Bristol Children's Hospital said it seemed his attacker was trying to rip out his eye.
Manzoor Hussain was set upon by his relative Rehman Hussain after they saw each other in the hospital car park, Bristol Crown Court heard.
After Rehman shouted abuse, he punched Mr Hussain to the ground, kicked him to his head and put his thumb in his left eye as if he was trying to pull it out.
Rehman Hussain, 40, of St Nicholas Road in St Pauls, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 16, 2019.
Judge Mark Horton adjourned sentence until January 29, pending exploration of a hospital treatment order which can be monitored by the court.
Clare Fear, prosecuting via video link, said Rehman Hussain verbally abused his relative, who was attending hospital with his wife, young son and niece.
Miss Fear described how Rehman Hussain then punched his victim to the left side of his head, causing him instant pain and dizziness.
The defendant inflicted a second blow before using his weight to drop the victim to the ground, where he kicked him to the left side of the head.
Miss Fear said: "The defendant put his thumb in the left eye of the complainant, causing him considerable pain and panic.
"He says it felt like the defendant was trying to pull out his eye."
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The court heard two men grabbed the attacker and held him back, allowing the victim and his party to flee into the hospital.
But the attacker followed them in and made threats before being restrained until police arrived at the scene and detained him under the Mental Health Act.
The defendant was interviewed later at Callington Road Hospital and made no comment to all questions.
The judge said that, at the time of the assault, Hussain had chosen not to take medication and his condition was aggravated by use of cannabis and his paranoid schizophrenia.
John Stokes, defending, conceded his client's victim and family would have suffered physical and emotional stress as a result of the incident.
