A THUG who beat up a man at a cashpoint, breaking his spine and endangering his life, was warned on Monday that he faced jail.

David Manzie, 40, punched his victim, Fraser Douglas, 34, to the ground after Mr Douglas went to the ATM outside a local shop in Clackmannan, a court heard.

While he was on the ground Manzie kicked him brutally.

The incident happened in broad daylight in the early afternoon of February 19, 2023.

Prosecutor Ronnie Hay said Mr Douglas was making his way towards the shop, the Haider mini-market in Lochies Road, Clackmannan, when he saw Manzie come out of a house a few doors down.

Mr Hay said: “As Mr Douglas went to the cash machine Manzie approached and punched him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.”

He then repeatedly kicked Mr Douglas on the body.

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Mr Hay said: “Despite Mr Douglas screaming for somebody to help him, no-one did.”

When Manzie eventually walked off, Mr Douglas staggered into the shop to ask for help, and managed to ring his father, who came to collect him.

He was initially taken home, but after his father noticed a deterioration an ambulance was called the next day and he was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

Doctors found he had six broken ribs, a spine fracture, a lacerated spleen, a collapsed lung and bleeding in the chest cavity.

He was intubated, placed in a medically-induced coma, and spent 14 days on a ventilator.

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Manzie, of Clackmannan, pleaded guilty at Stirling Sheriff Court to assaulting Mr Douglas to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton deferred sentence until December 12 and continued bail.

He warned Manzie to use the time to put his affairs in order.

He said: “This was a significant assault and it easily crosses the custody threshold – by some considerable margin.”

Solicitor Lewis Faulds, for Manzie, reserved mitigation.