AN ANGRY dad battered a farmer about the body with an extendable baton after the man had chased after a group of children who were playing chap-door-run.

Robert Rudkin lashed out at David Hanna with the weapon after hearing that his neighbour had grabbed his son by the clothing after banging on the man’s door and running off.

Rudkin’s son was left terrified by Mr Hanna’s reaction to the group of children knocking on doors in Ormiston in October 2019, a court was told.

Rudkin, 52, heard about the incident and approached Mr Hanna; after pulling out the baton, he beat the farmer on the body.

The dad then left the scene in a car driven by an unknown female, leaving 53-year-old Mr Hanna battered and bruised in the street.

Mr Hanna called the police and reported the attack. Rudkin was identified and later arrested and charged.

Rudkin, now of Potters Path, Tranent, failed to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday but lawyer Millie Virtue lodged a guilty plea to the assault in his absence.

Fiscal depute Sarah Quinn told the court that Mr Hanna was out in the street at about 4.15pm when Rudkin “approached him in the roadway”.

Ms Quinn said: “Words were exchanged and resulted in Mr Rudkin drawing an extendable baton from his waistband and began to swing towards the complainer.

“He swung it approximately nine times, with two to three of the swings connecting with the complainer.”

The fiscal added that Mr Hanna was struck on his left hand and to the left side of his chest, which left a three-inch bruise and “caused soreness”. Rudkin then fled by getting into a waiting car and police were subsequently contacted.

Solicitor Ms Virtue said that the attack was a result of Mr Hanna hearing banging at his front door, which was put down to local children playing ‘knock knock run’.

Rudkin’s son was among the group of children and the “ongoing issue” led to Mr Hanna leaving his home and chasing after the boys.

Ms Virtue said that Mr Hanna was a six-foot farmer and had “grabbed Mr Rudkin’s son by the clothing”, which had left the boy “hysterical”.

A local Chinese takeaway owner saw the incident and took the boy to safety inside his premises before taking him home and telling Rudkin what had taken place.

Sheriff Chris Dickson deferred sentence on Rudkin to next month for background reports and a restriction of liberty assessment to be carried out.

Rudkin pleaded guilty to assaulting David Hanna by repeatedly striking him on the body with a baton to his injury on Main Street, Ormiston, on October 6, 2019.