A thug has been jailed after battering a man with a hammer in a row over a drug debt.
Chay Ewing, 21, chased his victim on Coningham Terrace in Aberdeen, swinging the hammer and hitting him on the head and body with it.
At one point during the incident, filmed by a witness on their mobile phone, the man tripped over and Ewing continued to strike him and kicked him in the head as he lay on the ground.
Eventually he dropped the hammer and the other male picked it up and started to chase Ewing with it before they went separate ways.
It is understood the men were known to each other and the incident was related to a falling out over a drug debt.
Fiscal depute Colin Neilson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At approximately 10.10am on Friday May 15 an independent witness, who was within his home address which overlooks the locus, became aware of the accused, the complainer, aged 24, and a female.
“He began to video them as a result of having noticed that the accused was in possession of a hammer and that he was repeatedly winging it towards the complainer and striking him on the head and body with it.
“The complainer attempted to run away and escape from the accused but he tripped over a railing. The accused approached the complainer and, while he was on the ground, he again began to strike him on the head and body with the hammer and kick him on the head.
“This was witnessed by another independent witness who contacted the police.
“Meantime the complainer managed to get to his feet and crossed the road but he was followed by the accused. The woman attempted to intervene by placing herself in front of the accused who continued to swing the hammer towards the complainer.
“While doing so, the accused dropped the hammer and the complainer picked it up. The accused ran away and was pursued briefly by the complainer before they went their separate ways.”
A number of police units attended but were unable to trace the parties. The complainer and the woman were later traced by chance at an address police attended in relation to another matter, but both refused to provide statements.
Mr Neilson said: “The complainer did, however, give the hammer used by the accused to assault him to the police. He had a cut on the back of his head which was bleeding but he declined medical treatment.
“The incident was captured in its entirety on the mobile phone footage recorded by the independent witness. The police were able to identify the complainer and the accused from the footage and at 12.38am on May 29 the accused was seen by police.
“On seeing the police vehicle the accused ran away but was traced nearby a short time later.”
At Kittybrewster police station Ewing then began to square up to officers and threatened to spit at them before being restrained to the ground.
Ewing, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to charges of assault to injury, possession of an offensive weapon, and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence agent John Ferrie: “There are two Mr Ewings, the one I meet when he’s been in trouble, extremely mannered, never causes any difficulties, I can’t remember him using foul language in meetings with him, and then there’s the Mr Ewing who takes valium and mixes it with alcohol and loses control.”
Mr Ferrie said his client had been receiving help during his time on remand for his anger management and drug problems.
He added: “He is a young man who shows empathy for the victim.
“He fully accepts that hitting someone on the head could lead to something much more serious than what he appears for. He knows what he did was wrong.”
Mr Ferrie said the offence was committed due to a “combination of alcohol and valium” and that Ewing planned to use his time in prison “to become a better person upon leaving”.
Sheriff William Summers told Ewing: “You’re very fortunate indeed not to be facing more serious charges.”
He jailed him for two years and six months and imposed a 12-month supervised release order.
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