A man battered his cousin unconscious – twice – after he criticised his relationship and told him to “grow a set”.
Steven Stewart had asked to stay with his cousin following a row with his partner, but the pair quickly fell out when the 38-year-old’s relative made comments about Stewart’s relationship.
Fuelled by vodka and a cocktail of drugs, Stewart repeatedly punched him in the face, knocking him out and leaving him seriously injured.
And Stewart brazenly told his victim’s mother that he’d asked him to punch him, before hitting him again, leaving him unconscious for a second time.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the complainer lived alone in Aberdeen but that his mum had also been visiting at the time of the offence on January 28.
He said: “At some point during the same evening the accused sent the complainer a message asking if he could visit.
“The complainer agreed and the accused arrived at around 9pm.
“The accused said he’d fallen out with his partner and needed somewhere to stay.
“The complainer told him he could sleep on the sofa for a few days.
“At around 10.30pm the mother of the complainer went to bed, leaving the complainer and the accused in the living room.
“At this time there was no discord.
“The accused then told the complainer he had taken ‘valleys and diazepam’. He was also drinking vodka and smoking cannabis.
“Suddenly he punched the complainer in the face.
“He then jumped on top of him and punched him twice in the face.
“This caused the complainer to fall unconscious. The complainer has no memory of this.
“At around 1am on Tuesday the complainer’s mother was woken up by the complainer who was asking for help getting the accused out of the flat.
“He told her the accused had punched him. She saw his left eye had a black mark underneath it.
“She went through to the living room and spoke to the accused.
“He admitted hitting the complainer but said it was due to being requested to do so.
“The complainer denied this and called the accused a liar at which point the accused punched him again to the left side of his face.
“This caused the complainer to fall onto the sofa and lose consciousness again for about five seconds.”
Mr Townsend told the court Stewart then apologised to his cousin’s mum and left, only to return 45 minutes later and “continually” buzz at the door.
He was refused entry.
An ambulance took Stewart’s cousin to hospital where he was found to have multiple facial fractures.
Stewart was traced and arrested at 4.30am. When cautioned and charged he replied: “I only burst his nose.”
Stewart, of Caiesdykes Crescent, Aberdeen, pled guilty to assault to severe injury.
The incident happened at an address on Bloomfield Road in Aberdeen.
Defence agent Alex Burn said: “He had fallen out with his partner. He had left to go to his cousin’s with some alcohol.
“His cousin was being critical of his relationship with his partner.
“He took exception to this.”
Mr Burn said the man had told his client to “grow a set”, adding: “He stupidly reacted and assaulted the complainer in the manner described.”
Sheriff William Summers ordered Stewart to be jailed for 18 months.
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