Man admits power drill attack on James Hanlon in Stepps
A man has admitted attacking another man with a power drill after running a car off the road in North Lanarkshire.
Robert Kirkwood, 25, pleaded guilty to assaulting James Hanlon with the DIY tool in Stepps last August.
The High Court in Glasgow heard Mr Hanlon, 26, was dragged from a car then Kirkwood repeatedly hit him over the head and body with the drill.
Two co-accused, Charles McCormack, 28, and Michael McCormick, 22, had pleas of not guilty accepted.
They had originally been charged with assaulting Mr Hanlon to the danger of his life.
Kirkwood, who faced a similar charge, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of assaulting Mr Hanlon to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
The court heard that the Vauxhall Vectra, in which Mr Hanlon was a passenger, was hit head-on by an Audi A4 that swerved onto the wrong side of the road and was then shunted from the rear by a Ford Focus.
A man ran from the Audi and dragged Mr Hanlon out the Vectra and then was joined by Kirkwood who jumped out the Focus armed with a red-coloured power drill.
Prosecutor Andrew Miller told the court that eye witness reports and medical evidence suggested the tool was used as a blunt weapon.
The court heard that Mr Hanlon, who was unarmed, lay dazed and bleeding as the beating continued.
Christopher Milligan, 26, who had been driving the Vectra, ran off when the attack began.
Kirkwood was caught on the CCTV camera of a pub in nearby Cardowan Road as he fled on foot after the attack with the man who had pulled Hanlon from his car and the driver of the Ford Focus.
Detectives who viewed the footage recognised Kirkwood and his clothing was the same as that described by eye witnesses.
Forensic analysis of the Audi revealed Hanlon's DNA and one of his fingerprints.
Mr Miller added: "When paramedics attended the scene they found James Hanlon lying on the ground. He had obvious bleeding injuries to his head."
The court was told Mr Hanlon will be permanently scarred, but has suffered no lasting physical problems.
Mr Miller added: "The doctor who treated Mr Hanlon has confirmed that his scalp injuries were consistent with having been struck using the drill bit of a power tool as a blunt weapon.
"Neither Mr Hanlon nor Mr Milligan has ever named those involved in this incident to the police."
He added: "A number of potential weapons - namely four golf clubs, a claw hammer and a crow bar - were recovered from the front passenger foot well of the Vectra in which Mr Hanlon and Mr Milligan had been travelling."
Kirkwood was later arrested while travelling to Kent from France via the Channel tunnel in September last year.
He is currently serving a sentence of three years and eight months, imposed last November for a drug offence.
Judge Lady Dorrian deferred sentence on Kirkwood until next month.