Attack on woman in Inverness 'like scene from a horror movie' court hears

An attack on a young woman in Inverness city centre left her so cut and bleeding a witness described it as being like a scene from a horror movie.

Thomas Grayson (24) admitted a charge of assault to injury against the woman.

His guilty plea came after the charge had been reduced from indictment to the less serious summary level.

Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph told the court that a number of witnesses watched the assault in Castle Street last August 21 that left the woman covered in blood and disorientated.

She told Sheriff Sara Matheson: "One witness said it looked like a scene from a horror movie. The victim had a 5-6cm long laceration to her head."

Ms Ralph, added that Grayson had injuries to his knuckles after the assault.

Police called to the scene called an ambulance for the woman, but after being told there was a four hour wait, the officers drove her to Raigmore Hospital.

Grayson, of Olive Grove, Starbeck, Harrogate, admitted a charge detailing his attack on the young woman.

This included pushing her, repeatedly causing her to fall on the ground, punching her on the face, seizing her by the neck and body and throwing her against a wall, punching her repeatedly on the head and body, straddling her while on the ground, pulling her hair and causing her to strike her head against a wall and kicking her on the head all to her injury.

Sheriff Matheson ordered a criminal justice and social work report be prepared on Grayson and deferred sentence until December 14 with bail continued.