A construction worker who knocked a colleague to the ground and put him in a coma was yesterday told he was lucky he had not killed him.
Keir Agnew was warned he could have been facing a murder charge as a result of the attack, which has left his victim suffering from seizures as well as sensory and memory problems.
Agnew, who was working on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, had been drinking the Market Bar in Stonehaven when his friend began arguing with fellow roads worker Colin Gordon.
The 33-year-old escorted Mr Gordon from the pub, but struck out at him, causing him to fall.
Mr Gordon was knocked unconscious after his skull cracked against the ground, and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition.
Doctors put him in an induced coma for seven days, and were forced to remove part of his skull to ease the pressure of fluid that had built up on his brain.
Yesterday, Agnew admitted assaulting Mr Gordon to the danger of his life when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Lixia Sun told the court: “Without the treatment he received, Mr Gordon would have died. His life was in danger and he will have scarring because of the procedures he received to prevent death.
“He has since suffered from seizures and memory loss, he lost his sense of smell and taste. He was in a coma for seven days.
“He was seen by a doctor and he had made improvements over a number of months and is ready now to go back to work.”
Sentence was deferred on Agnew for background reports to be prepared, but Sheriff Graeme Napier told him he was lucky he was not facing a murder charge.
He said that Agnew, who has a previous assault conviction from 2007, was facing a “very serious charge”.
He said: “This is one of these situations where the nature of the charge is not a sustained assault but it has resulted in very serious injuries.
“The consequences could have been far greater and fatal. You are very lucky not to be facing a charge of murder or culpable homicide.”
The court heard that both men were not local to the area but had been staying in Stonehaven while working on the AWPR.
Ms Sun said: “On August 19, in the evening some time after 6pm, Mr Gordon was drinking at the locus and as the night progressed, some time after 10pm, Agnew and a couple of his friends entered the locus.
“At the same point Mr Gordon was involved in a verbal and physical altercation with the accused’s friend.
“In order to calm the situation the accused escorted Mr Gordon to the exit door and positioned his whole body to prevent him from re-entering the locus.”
She added CCTV footage captured Agnew lifting his hand and striking Mr Gordon before he fell to the floor.
“Witnesses went to the exit door of the pub to see what happened,” Ms Sun added. “They saw Mr Gordon was lying on the ground next to the door of the pub and appeared to be unconscious.
“They also saw that the accused was kneeling beside Mr Gordon holding his head.”
The court heard that once Mr Gordon was taken to ARI, Agnew re-entered the bar.
Mrs Sim said: “The accused came back into the pub and started drinking again. He was talking with members of staff about what had happened and he said he had struck him. He said he was trying to get him out the pub. He said ‘I pushed him and because he was that drunk he fell straight back and I heard the crack of his head and I ran round to catch him and I helped him’.”
Representing Agnew, of 23 Atlin Drive, New Stevenston, North Lanarkshire, solicitor Neil McRobert said his client had lost his job as a result of the incident but had since regained employment.
He said he was separated from his partner but still provided money for her and his young child.
Agnew will return to court next month to be sentenced.
