A 24-YEAR-OLD suffered a broken back after being attacked as he walked home from a night out.

Lee Johnstone, 23, from Hawick, repeatedly punched his victim on the head, kicked him on the head and body and threw him to the ground.

He admitted assaulting a man to his severe injury in the town’s Allars Crescent on March 2.

Johnstone was due to be sentenced at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Friday but background reports were not available.

Sentence was deferred until January 9 and Johnstone remanded in custody.