A THUG who left a stranger brain damaged was caught after running straight into a lamppost

Gordon Cardle brutally attacked James Melville with a Buckfast bottle in Glasgow's Maryhill last December.

The 55-year-old victim suffered a fractured skull and bleeding near the brain.

A judge heard how Cardle tried to flee from police – but ended up sprawled on the ground himself.

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The 25-year-old now faces a jail-term after he pleaded guilty to assaulting the dad to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment as well as to the danger of life.

He will be sentenced next month.

Mr Melville had been walking near the city's Maryhill shopping centre last December 18 prior to the unprovoked attack.

Prosecutor Eoghainn MacLean said: “Cardle appeared and struck him with the Buckfast bottle. He fell backwards unconscious.

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“He struck a hard surface with a loud thump and started bleeding profusely.”

Witnesses raced out to help Mr Melville – a cleansing worker – as Cardle crouched over him.

Police soon turned up and initially spoke to the thug who gave “contradictory” accounts of what happened.

Officers then noticed blood on him. Cardle, of Maryhill, soon ran off before blindly smacking into the pole.

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The court heard Mr Melville needed extensive surgery and may have died without help.

He was only discharged from hospital two weeks later with further plans for rehab.

The dad continues to suffer from memory loss, headaches and “altered personality”.

Lord Mulholland remanded him in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.