A CLYDEBANK forklift driver who attacked a man with a hammer over a drug debt was today jailed for three years and four months.

At the High Court in Glasgow James Rae, 41, of Stewart Street, Dalmuir, admitted assaulting Scott Ferns, 31, to the danger of his life.

The attack took place at Rae's home on September 2 after Mr Ferns went there demanding payment.

Prosecutor Blair Speed said: “At 11:30 on September 2, Scott Ferns went to James Rae's house to collect payment for a debt.

“The accused's position was that the debt was for street Valium and heroin.”

When Rae said he was unable to pay the debt, Mr Ferns took his house keys and refused to return them.

Rae lifted a hammer and chased Mr Ferns into the street before hitting him on the head four or five times. He also hit Mr Ferns on the ribs and legs with the hammer.

After carrying out the assault, Rae went to Clydebank police station and confessed, saying: “Im going to plead guilty to it. The boy I assaulted was Scott Ferns.”

Mr Ferns was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow where he was examined and found to have a cut above his left eyebrow, two fractures to his left eye socket, a fracture on his skull, a broken rib and a collapsed lung.

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Defence Counsel Tony Lenehan said of Rae, who has previous convictions, but who had been out of trouble for 13 years: “Trouble came looking for him, he didn’t go looking for trouble.”

Sending him down for three years and four months, Judge Lady Stacey told Rae: “You must know how very dangerous it is to do what you did and hit a man with a hammer. You and Mr Ferns are lucky it was not more serious than it was.”

Rae was previously jailed for seven years in 2000 for assault with intent to rob.