Canadian man pleads guilty to beating U.S. man at Kid Rock concert in New York

BATAVIA, N.Y. – A 35-year-old Canadian man has pleaded guilty to an assault charge for punching another man during a Kid Rock concert in western New York last summer, leaving the victim in a coma for several weeks.

Local media report that Craig Lawson of Courtland, Ont., pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Genesee County court before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Police say Lawson punched Jason McNeil in the head during a Kid Rock concert last July 5 at Darien Lake Theme Park.

McNeil, a native of nearby Alden in neighbouring Erie County, lives in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and was back home for a visit when he attended the concert.

He spent several weeks in a coma before being released from the hospital.

Lawson will be sentenced in August to up to a year in jail.

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