Horrific hammer attack during night out with friends
A man was hit in the face with a hammer during a night out with friends in Dunfermline.
The victim was knocked out, sustained a fractured facial bone and was left in a pool of blood, after being challenged to go into Pittencrieff Park for a fight.
Once there, George Simpson took a hammer out of a rucksack and struck the man in the face with it.
Simpson (56), currently a prisoner at Perth, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He admitted that on 23rd July last year at Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, he assaulted a man by striking him on the head with a hammer, knocking him to the ground and rendering him unconscious to his severe injury.
He also admitted he breached bail conditions on three occasions by failing to comply with a home curfew.
Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden said the only time the victim had spoken to Simpson prior to this night was an exchange of words in the Seven Kings pub during a World Cup match the previous month.
On the night of 22nd July Simpson had gone for a night out with his wife. They had gone to some bars including the Seven Kings and the victim was also there with friends.
That group went to Life nightclub while Simpson and his wife went to another bar.
Simpson later told his wife he was going to the toilet but left the bar and went down towards Life.
At around 12.45am the victim and others were having a cigarette at the front of the nightclub when they saw Simpson nearby.
He said he wanted the complainer to “come with me down the Glen” for a fight.
The incident was observed by town centre CCTV operators and when Simpson and two men walked away from the nightclub towards the park police were alerted.
When the three men reached the park, words were exchanged before Simpson struck the victim on the head with the hammer, knocking him unconscious.
When the victim came around his face was covered in blood and Simpson was being restrained by another man.
The victim was taken to the Victoria Hospital where it was found he had sustained a fractured bone around the area of his left eye.
Simpson told police he had the hammer with him because he had been using it earlier when he was doing work on decking in his garden.
Sheriff Charles MacNair called for reports and Simpson will remain in custody until sentencing on 30th May.
