A 22-year-old Alness man who carried out a vicious attack and stamped on his head will be sentenced next month.
A jury took less than 90 minutes to find Ian Grant guilty by a majority of punching, kicking and stamping on 20-year-old waiter Sky Urquhart to his severe injury in Inverness in February.
But the allegation that he also used a police-style asp or baton on his victim was removed from the charge by the jury against Grant.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart said Grant had a record for offences against the police; assault, theft and possessing an offensive weapon.
The court heard Grant was currently on a community payback order and Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood said he was compelled to call for a social background report.
Grant will return to be sentenced on June 15 and was again remanded in custody.
After hearing speeches, the jury retired to consider their verdict but returned to listen to a 999 call made by Mr Urquhart’s niece Elizabeth Jones, 19 and also from Alness, in the early hours of February 18.
She told a police operator that her uncle had been attacked by Grant on the Greig Street Bridge by Grant.
Ms Jones was heard to say that Mr Urquhart’s head was pouring with blood and he wasn’t moving.
She told a jury: “I thought he was dead. There was blood everywhere.”
Grant did not give evidence on his own behalf.
