Murder bid Scots soldier left stranger on ventilator after family party

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A soldier carried out a brutal murder bid on a stranger while on weekend leave. Scott Linton, 23, had been returning from a family party when he pounced on Steven McAllister in a lane in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire on March 14 2020.

The lance corporal - who serves with the Royal Regiment of Scotland 5 Scots - punched, kicked and stamped on the 47 year-old leaving him unconscious in a pool of blood.

The victim ended up in hospital for 12 days after the motiveless attack. The beating was so severe the tread of Linton's trainer was still imprinted on his head.Father-of-two Linton - who has been in the army for almost eight years - today pled guilty to an attempted murder charge as he appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.His QC said the crime was "entirely out of character" for the first offender.Linton - whose address was marked Redford Barracks in Edinburgh - had his bail continued by a judge.The squaddie will be sentenced in March.The court heard how Linton had been with his partner and other relatives at a family party at a local pub.Linton was later dropped off home separately after leaving the bash.Prosecutor Michael Macintosh said instead of heading to the front door, the on-leave soldier instead walked down a nearby lane.It was there he met Mr McAllister, who was not known to him.Linton suddenly started shouting at him, including yelling: "Who the f*** are you?"He then went on to repeatedly punch and kick the stranger as well as stamping on his head.Linton's partner could then hear shouting and raced out to investigate.Mr Macintosh: "Linton was standing over Mr McAllister, who was lying on the ground."His breathing was shallow and he was not moving."Linton bizarrely claimed the man had made a jibe