A VIOLENT thug battered a student over the head with a wooden pole and robbed him of cash in a popular Edinburgh park.
David Manson, 20, pounced on 18-year-old Jamie MacKenzie as he walked home through The Meadows with a friend after a night out.
His accomplice, Hugh Ferguson, robbed Mr MacKenzie's friend Alexander Lewis at the same time after threatening him with
a knife.
Minutes earlier, Ferguson, 26, had brandished the knife at Louise Sutherland, a 20-year-old medical student.
The attacks took place in Middle Meadow Walk around 4am on July 2.
Ferguson had approached Miss Sutherland, who was walking home from a graduation event with her brother and two other friends, asking for a cigarette then brought out the knife.
She escaped uninjured after calmly pushing the knife away and walking off.
A short time later, Mr Lewis and Mr MacKenzie were walking along the pathway when they saw Manson and Ferguson "hanging around".
They heard a voice shout "What time is it?" and turned around to see Manson holding a wooden pole and Ferguson with a knife.
Ferguson held the knife at Mr Lewis and demanded his wallet and mobile phone, threatening to stab him if he did not comply.
Manson swung the wooden pole at Mr MacKenzie and asked for his wallet.
Mr MacKenzie took 50 pence from his pocket and threw it on the ground, and Manson lunged forward and hit him on the head with the wood.
The students ran off and called police who found Manson and Ferguson a short time later carrying the items they had stolen.
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, Ferguson and Manson pleaded guilty to assault and robbery and Ferguson also admitted breach of the peace.
They have been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing later this month.
Solicitor Caroline Kwek, defending delivery driver Ferguson, who has a four-year-old son, said he had written a letter of apology to Mr Lewis.
Rhona McLeod, Manson's lawyer, said his actions had been "out of character" and that he was ashamed of what he had done.
Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie has asked to see the pole and the knife before sentencing the pair.
"In view of the nature of these offences, which must have been terrifying for those involved, bail is refused," she added.
The full article contains 393 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
