Knife man gets jail for slashing friend 1/2/13
A North Uist man has been jailed for two and a half years for viciously slashing his friend on the face.
A jury convicted Robert Wilson, 52, by a majority after a three day trial which ended at Stornoway Sheriff Court yesterday (Fri).
Wilson, whose address was given as Inverness Prison, normally resides at 1 Ashdail Cottages, Bayhead, North Uist.
The Crown and defence agreed over the injures inflicted on the victim, Gordon Macdonald of Kersavagh, Lochmaddy, North Uist, but Wilson denied being the assailant. Wilson’s lawyer said there was doubt because a third person could have been there.
Procurator fiscal David Teale said the victim suffered a cut running down the left hand side of his face, from near his eye to his chin. The lower part of the wound was about 1cm deep. He will be scarred for life, said the fiscal.
He also ended up with a badly swollen face and eye as well as bruising to the forehead and neck.
Giving evidence, Gordon Macdonald said Robert Wilson arrived at his home with a bottle of vodka around 5pm or 6pm on 6 September.
The victim drank three home measures -
He said Wilson fell asleep in an armchair by the fire for about an hour. Then Gordon Macdonald made food for them both and sat down in another armchair.
He said he felt the blood running down his face and then “my mind is a blank. I must have been knocked out.”
Macdonald was shocked when he saw the state of his face in the mirror the next morning. He went to a friend’s house where police and an ambulance were summoned. He required hospital treatment.
He said Wilson was the only other person in the house.
Mr Macdonald said the attack him more nervy, edgy and distrustful of people. He now spends more time staying with relatives, he said.
He said: “I am generally more scared of things I should take as the norm.”
A forensic expert for the defence, Terrance Randall, said that blood on Wilson’s trousers and boot could possibly have been picked up by simply walking over the victim as he lay bleeding on the floor.
Mr Randall said that there was no sign of splattering of blood in scene of crime photographs to show that a bleeding wound had been kicked or punched.
The fiscal said that Macdonald received a swollen eye and face on the opposite side to the slash, which, in addition to bruising to the forehead and neck were consistent to being kicked or punched.
The victim said the first blow to the head must have knocked him out because he couldn’t recall anything after the knife slashing.
Alternatively, he told defence lawyer Angus Macdonald, it was “quite possible Robert could have put something in the drink.”
He stressed: “Never in my life did three drams knock me out.”
Later, addressing the jury, the solicitor pointed out Mr Macdonald gave evidence had no explanation for three empty alcohol bottles found in the house.
He said no weapon was produced in court.
The lawyer queried why Mr Macdonald’s memory was blank adding, “that doesn‘t sound right.”
He maintained someone else could have been present that night because DNA evidence of three other males was discovered on glasses and cigarette butts found in the house.
That created doubt whether Robert Wilson caused the injuries, he insisted.
He urged the jury not to convict an innocent man.
Sheriff David Sutherland backdated the prison sentence to September 18.