A COUNTY man assaulted a man by striking him to the head in Haddington.

James Wood attacked Steven Nelson by hitting him on the head and kicking him to the body at Court Street on March 25.

The 20-year-old, of the town’s Briery Bank, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Tuesday.

He also had not guilty pleas accepted to shouting, swearing and preventing the man from exiting a vehicle, and also to damaging the vehicle’s bonnet.

The court was told that Wood was currently working at his uncle’s joinery business and had been drinking prior to the incident as it was the anniversary of a friend’s death.

Wood’s defence agent also said that his client had not drunk alcohol since the incident.

Sheriff Sharp deferred sentence to November 21 for the preparation of social work reports.