Man lashed out then had heart attack

Court heard attacker became ill after he carried out assault

Paul Hunter collapsed after police tried to pull him off a quad bike as he tried to make his getaway.

Hunter (40), of Carrol Crescent, Newarthill, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted striking Scott McKirdle on the back of the head to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement. It happened at a house in Wood Crescent, Motherwell, on May 9 last year.

Hunter also admitted resisting arrest and having an offensive weapon — a hammer — but an allegation that the weapon was used to inflict the injury to Mr McKirdle was dropped.

Co-accused Robert Hunter (35), of Northfield Street, Motherwell, had his not guilty plea to the assault charge accepted.

Defence agent Diarmid Bruce said Mr McKirdle owed Paul Hunter money and wasn’t paying back the debt quickly enough. Hunter, whose family was facing financial pressures, went to see him and an argument broke out.

After the assault, Mr Bruce said, Hunter was hit by a police baton several times as officers tried to prevent him leaving the scene on a quad bike.

The solicitor stated: “He suffered a heart attack that night and is now on medication daily. He has no assaults on his record and his behaviour was not typical of him.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar said he was able to “take a step back” from imposing jail and ordered Hunter to be supervised for 18 months. He must also do 240 hours of unpaid work and will be unable to leave home at night for six months under an electronic tagging order.