An Edinburgh thug battered his pal - who had allegedly accused him of being involved in his dog’s sudden disappearance - during a brutal Christmas Eve attack.
Thomas Smith struck his friend Dean Halliday - whom he’d known for 30 years - over the head with a bottle in Edinburgh, as reported by the Daily Record.
The 55-year-old then punched Dean and stamped on his head as he lay on the ground injured.
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Smith appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday and admitted to a charge of assault to injury.
Fiscal depute Alan Wickham said Smith and Dean were among the people gathered outside the Salvation Army premises in the Pleasance area at around 6.15pm on December 24, Christmas Eve evening.
Mr Wickham said the accused approached Dean and hit him with a bottle which didn’t break upon impactt.
Dean fell to the ground, the court heard, and Smith punched him to the head before aiming the stamp.
Mr Wickham said Dean suffered a bleeding nose and a cut above his left eye.
Defence agent Philip Templeton said his client and the victim had known each other for more than three decades, the majority of their lives.
Mr Templeton said Dean believed Smith had “something to do with the disappearance of his dog”.
The solicitor said Smith had long misused drugs and alcohol, but his drug problems were under control.
Sheriff Kenneth Campbell QC deferred sentence on Smith, of the city’s Bruntsfield area, until October for reports.
