Student who pounced on woman in park left man who tried to help with brain injury

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A student who pounced on a woman near a Scots park left the Good Samaritan who tried to intervene with a brain injury in a vicious assault.Nicholas Austin attacked the woman as she walked towards the Meadows in Edinburgh and repeatedly pushed her to the ground.The incident was witnessed by Ruaridh Cruickshank who rushed from a nearby takeaway to come to her aid.Austin, 24, struck Ruaridh to the head, causing him to fall over and hit his head on a bin, knocking him unconscious.Ruaridh was later found to have suffered an aneurysm and spent seven days in hospital being monitored by neurosurgeons.Austin, who was a fourth-year French student at the University of Edinburgh, also tried to headbutt a police officer as he was being detained.He appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday and admitted assaulting Anna Mougin as she walked home from a night-out with pals.Austin also pled guilty to assaulting Ruaridh to his severe injury and assaulting Pc Stephen Suddon.Fiscal depute Matthew Miller said the incident began at 2.45am when Anna was walking in the direction of the Meadows on Forrest Road.Mr Miller said Austin, who was drunk, approached the victim and pushed her backwards to the ground.He said Anna made “repeated efforts to get up” but was pushed to the ground each time by Austin, grazing her knee and cutting her right thigh.The court heard the terrifying attack was spotted by Ruaridh.Mr Miller said: “Mr Cruickshank had attempted to intervene to help the woman but at this time the accused has struck him to the head, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on a bin, rendering him unconscious.”The prosecutor said cops on mobile patrol were alerted by Anna, who was “in a state of distress” after the unprovoked