Hawick man’s knife attack
A HAWICK man who slashed his friend in the neck tried to blame someone else for the horrific knife attack, a court was told.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Martin Sinclair, 35, of Princes Street, told police he had been out at a chip shop when his friend had been stabbed.
But he later pleaded guilty to assaulting the man after the pair had been drinking together.
The court heard that both men returned to the friend’s flat late on March 7 where Sinclair attacked his friend. This resulted in the man sustaining a serious neck injury running from his left ear down to his chin.
Advocate depute Andrew McMillan, prosecuting, said that Sinclair then went to the chip shop below the flat and asked for help, telling staff the man had been stabbed by someone who had “kicked the door in”.
Mr McMillan said: “Mr Sinclair asked if he could have a cloth as there was ‘blood everywhere’ and requested an ambulance be called.
“When police arrived at the flat Sinclair was using paper towels to put pressure on the wound.”
After the attack, the man would only tell the police “I’m not a grass”. He later told officers at Borders General Hospital that Sinclair had cut his throat with a large, black handled knife.
The victim was taken to the accident and emergency department of the BGH and treated for his injuries but later discharged after he was found to have no lasting neurological injury.
Sinclair, who has a long list of previous convictions and admitted to being alcohol dependent, was originally charged with attempted murder. However, the Crown accepted his plea to a reduced charge of causing severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred the sentence until November at The High Court in Aberdeen for background reports. Solicitor advocate Frank Moore, defending, will give him plea in mitigation then.
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Weather for Galashiels
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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