Drinking partner attacked with ‘wooden object’ then left injured on street

A sheriff heard about a Wick man’s ordeal after he was punched and struck with a length of wood by a drinking buddy – who then dragged him out of a house and left him helpless on the pavement.

Victim Kevin Bremner was unable to walk due to “a busted knee” but managed to crawl a short distance before phoning for help.

Wick Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday how a convivial drinking session at the home of the accused, 51-year-old George Newlands, suddenly took a violent turn.

The evening began socially with Newlands inviting Mr Bremner and another acquaintance for a drink at Newlands’ home in Bexley Terrace, Wick, on August 11, last year.

Grant McLennan said that, initially, “everything was fine” as the trio worked their way through a litre bottle of vodka with mixers while sitting on a sofa.

The fiscal depute said that Mr Bremner recalled that it was “like a switch was pressed” and continued: “While Mr Bremner was talking away on the left side of the sofa, Newlands, seated on the right side, punched him three or four times causing his hearing aids to come out.

“The accused then got up and went through to his bedroom and returned with ‘a big, long wooden object’. He raised it above his head, walked over to Mr Bremner and hit him on his left knee twice.

“This caused Mr Bremner to fall onto the floor. He remained on the floor for about half an hour looking for his hearing aids and was unable to get up due to his knee injury. Mr Bremner asked the accused, Newlands, to phone for an ambulance three times, in vain.”

Newlands then dragged Mr Bremner backwards out of the flat and left him outside the front door on the pavement before returning to his flat and locking the front door.

Mr Bremner phoned 999 stating he was lying on the path, his knee was “busted” and he wanted an ambulance.

Police officers located him but were unable to get a clear account of the assault from him, due to his level of intoxication, his injury and the fact he didn’t have his hearing aids.

Mr Bremner was treated at Caithness General Hospital where an X-ray revealed a hairline fracture to his left femur and bruising to the right side of his face around his eye.

He remained in hospital for the ensuing days during which he named George Newlands as his attacker. Police officers recovered the victim’s hearing aids and a shoe he lost while being dragged out of the accused’s home.

Newlands, who admitted the assault on indictment, will be sentenced on July 8, after Sheriff Neil Wilson hears mitigation and considers a background report.