A welder concocted a “ludicrous” plot to attack another man in the grounds of a 15th century castle in a dispute over a £20 cannabis deal, a court heard.
Joshua George lured the victim to the Dundas Castle estate in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, before assaulting him.
Covered in blood, he sought help from two guests at the historic castle who were having dinner.
George’s defence agent branded a feud between the two men as “classic middle class gangsterism” which was started by the “ridiculous” £20 dispute.
The 21-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday to admit assaulting the other man, luring him to the estate, striking him repeatedly to the head and body to his severe injury, and robbing him of his mobile phone.
Fiscal depute Lynsay Magro said the victim had received a message from George’s former co-accused Jake Hannan to see if he “fancied meeting up for a smoke”.
Ms Magro said Hannan picked up the victim and they drove to a clearing on a private road at the estate.
She said: “As they drove up, Mr Hannan pulled over and stated he was going to the toilet.
“About five seconds later, the passenger door was pulled open by the accused and (the victim) was dragged from the car.
“The accused began striking him around the head.
“The victim heard a voice shout “empty your pockets” and felt a hand remove his mobile phone.
“The assault lasted for two or three minutes before the accused left and the victim was lying on the ground.”
The court heard the victim ran to the castle, banged on the windows, and was spotted by two diners.
Castle staff found him “covered in blood”, Ms Magro said, and police and an ambulance were called.
Police found the victim with a swollen left eye and an “open wound which was bleeding”, she added, as well as a bloody left ear.
He was treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for multiple scalp lacerations following the attack on January 20 last year.
Ms Magro said officers seized George’s phone and found “many conversations between the accused and others discussing the assault”.
Defence agent Chris Fehily said his client and the victim knew each other and had a “falling out” over the £20.
The solicitor said the victim allegedly assaulted George “quite significantly” before the incident although it wasn’t reported to police.
Mr Fehily said a “number of threats passed between them” online. He said the victim allegedly posed for photos holding “baseball bats and BB guns and making threats against Mr George”.
Mr Fehily said the pair “embroiled themselves in a ludicrous course of conduct” and seemed to believe they were in a TV show.
The court heard George, a first offender who works refurbishing camper vans, stole the victim’s phone and destroyed it after telling him not to send him more messages.
Hannan, 19, of Newcastle, had appeared on the charge with George but his not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff Alistair Noble deferred sentence on George, of South Queensferry, until next month for reports.
