Gran battered by workmate during rammy at wake in East Kilbride pub

Grant Rankin, 25, admitted assaulting 52-year-old Elizabeth Richardson in Greenhills Bar when they were attending a wake for a colleague at DHL Sainsbury's.

A gran beaten by a workmate at a fellow colleague’s wake has told how she spiralled into months of depression and anxiety following the horrific attack.

Elizabeth Richardson was left with severe trauma to her head, face and neck after being set upon as she lay motionless on the floor of the Greenhills Bar by new dad Grant Rankin.

They were attending the wake of a DHL Sainsbury’s workmate when “all hell broke loose”. Witnesses say the rammy left the pub “absolutely trashed”.

Rankin, 25, of North Berwick Crescent, Greenhills, pled guilty by letter to a charge of assault and threatening or abusive behaviour last April when the case called at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

His dad Alexander Rankin, 53, of Lomond in Whitehills, was also involved in the fracas and admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.

He too works alongside Elizabeth at the Langlands distribution centre. Elizabeth, 52, told the East Kilbride News: “It has been hell for me ever since and to this day I still can’t understand why he did this to me.

“Grant is the last person I would have expected to do this and, as far as I was aware, we got on.

“He was a decent guy and there was never any issues between us. It was totally out of character.”

Elizabeth was left with crippling vertigo and was unable to work for 12 weeks following the attack.

And such was the crippling anxiety she was left with, she couldn’t be among groups of people for months.

She needed powerful painkillers after the attack and only now, more than a year after her ordeal, has she come off the anti-depressants prescribed by doctors.

While she remembers the moments leading up to her brutal and unprovoked assault, she has no memory of being set upon.

However, the brawl was captured on CCTV, with police officers telling her Grant Rankin could clearly be seen kicking her to the head a number of times – even while she was unconscious.

She went on: “All I remember is there being an argument later on, maybe around 7 or 8pm, and Alexander was involved.

“Folk had had a good drink by this point.

“My partner went to the toilet but said to me to get my stuff together so we could go because it was all going ‘to kick-off’.

“The last thing I remember is looking up and seeing someone running towards me with a chair and being in the middle of a group of men.

“Then that’s it, blank, until I came to in hospital.

“Police told me Grant could be seen coming from outside the bar on the CCTV to get involved.

“Apparently he was kicking me to the head several times while I was lying on the ground, even at the point where I was unconscious.”

Elizabeth was taken to Hairmyres Hospital with severe bruising and cuts to her face and head.

She was placed in a neck brace and a number of tests were carried out, including a precautionary CT scan.

“I remember coming to the next morning,” she added. “I just thought, ‘what the h*** has happened’?

“Then when I saw my face and the blood and I got the fright of my life. I was a mess.”

Elizabeth discharged herself from hospital unaware of the extent of the attack.

But after her daughter, Nicola, saw her, she was readmitted and kept in for further tests and observation.

And whilst the cuts and bruises may have healed, the ordeal is far from over for Elizabeth, who needs ongoing physiotherapy and is living with severe anxiety.

“This has affected every part of my life,” she told us.“What’s worse is, he could have killed me.

“He could have been facing a murder or attempted murder charge.

“And when I finally got back to work, it was a nightmare.

“Having to face Grant and his dad every time I go into work is just awful.

“I just want to know why I was attacked like this; why me?”

Both Rankins are expected to appear at court for sentencing on August 5.