A construction worker left a colleague with a serious brain injury after attacking him at a pub.

Keir Agnew, 33, hit Colin Gordon on the head after an argument broke out outside the Market Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

Mr Gordon was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery to relieve the pressure on his swollen brain and spent a week in a coma.

The extent of his injury could have led to his brain stem disjointing and potentially death, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday.

Agnew, of New Stevenston in North Lanarkshire, admitted assaulting Mr Gordon to the danger of his life.

Fiscal depute Lidia Sim said the two Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route workers were in the bar before the assault happened on August 19 last year.

She said: "At some point Mr Gordon was involved in a verbal and physical altercation with one of the accused's friends and seeing that, the accused intervened in an attempt to calm the situation."

Ms Sim told the court Agnew escorted Mr Gordon to the front door. CCTV footage revealed that he then struck Mr Gordon on the head with his hand, causing him to fall down.

Agnew was found kneeling on the ground holding Mr Gordon's head after he was unconscious. Mr Gordon was taken to the intensive therapy unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by ambulance where his condition was described as critical.

Ms Sim said: "As a direct result of the blunt force trauma, Mr Gordon sustained skull fractures. And these fractures resulted in severe brain swelling and the result of the swelling injury had the potential to disjoint Mr Gordon's brain stem and cause death."

Part of Mr Gordon's skull had to be removed to ease the pressure on his brain. The bones were replaced after his condition improved.

Since the attack he has suffered mobility issues and lost his sense of taste and smell.

But the court was told that he had made a big improvement and was now ready to return to work, although doctors believe he is at risk of having seizures over the next three years.

Agnew lost his job in the building of Aberdeen's bypass as a result of the attack and now works in the central belt.

Sheriff Graeme Napier told him that he was lucky not to have been facing a charge of culpable homicide. Sentence was deferred until next month.