A THUG who battered a deaf man in his own home is facing a jail term.

Charles Simpson punched and kicked “vulnerable” Robert Greig during an attack in the victim’s home earlier this year.

The two men had enjoyed a three-hour drinking session together in Cafe Habana, a gay bar in Edinburgh, before they headed back to Mr Greig’s home in Port Seton.

But after arriving at the flat, Simpson turned from “Jekyll to Hyde” and launched the attack on his deaf victim.

Mr Greig, who became totally deaf two years ago, claimed that Simpson had attacked him after he had returned from the toilet to find the thug going through his wallet.

The 46-year-old former Virgin Atlantic flight manager told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that he told Simpson “just to take the money”, but was suddenly thrown onto the couch and beaten.

Mr Greig claimed that Simpson then stripped him of most of his clothing, held him down by straddling him and beat him with a belt before stealing a sum of cash and fleeing.

He also claimed that 33-year-old Simpson scribbled down threats on a notepad to the deaf victim, stating: “I will kill you”, “I will knife you” and “I want your money”.

Mr Greig said: “He poured himself a mug of vodka, then I recall saying 'I think you should be going'. I went to the toilet but when I came down he was like Jekyll and Hyde.

“His face changed from friendly to a grimace and he had my wallet in his hand. I was shocked and said ‘take the money’, but he threw me onto the sofa and punched and kicked me.

“I was vulnerable and realise that now.”

Mr Greig said that he was saved from the attack after a neighbour burst in after hearing his cries for help through the wall.

But Simpson told the court that he had acted in self-defence that evening, after Mr Greig had returned from the toilet wearing just his underwear before then attempting to kiss him.

Simpson claimed that he punched the man once to the face before kicking him once as he lay bloodied on the sofa. He added that he left the house without stealing any cash.

Simpson, of Anderson Place, Hawick, was found guilty of an amended assault charge on Tuesday following a three-day trial at the Capital’s sheriff court.

But the jury cleared Simpson of demanding and stealing the cash, beating the man with the belt and strangling Mr Greig by using the victim’s t-shirt as a ligature during the attack on February 6.

The court heard that Mr Greig and Simpson enjoyed several pints together after meeting at the well-known Edinburgh gay bar before heading back to Port Seton for a further drinking session.

During the trial, the jury was then shown a picture of Simpson that Mr Greig had taken in the gay bar’s toilets, while Mr Greig also claimed that Simpson had taken a picture of his own genitals using the victim’s phone but he had deleted the image before the case had called to court.

Simpson denied he had taken such a picture, but did admit to writing the threatening notes.

Simpson told the court: “He was talking to me and then he tried it on with me. Both of us were on the couch and he kind of leaned over.

“He leant in and tried to kiss me but I got up and moved. He got up and that was when I hit him. I punched him just the once, then gave him a kick to the body – it wasn’t that hard.

“I was just angry – I didn’t mean to write [the threatening notes].

“I was angry and frustrated but I wouldn’t have done any of that. But he did not know that.”

Simpson was found guilty by unanimous verdict of assaulting Mr Greig by pushing him onto a sofa, struggling with him, striking him to the head and kicking him on the body at the house in Port Seton on February 6.

Sheriff Frank Crowe deferred sentence on Simpson for the preparation of reports to January 17 next year.