Four years’ prison for teen in brutal attack

Stabbed and robbed victim

A vicious teenage thug from Airdrie who stabbed a neighbour and robbed him of £ 100 in an unprovoked Boxing Day attack has been jailed for four years.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been invited into his neighbour’s home for a drink. However, while there he slashed the man on the neck and stabbed him in the back in a violent outburst.

At the High Court in Glasgow last month, the teenager, who has a previous conviction for assault to severe injury, admitted attempted murder.

The offence was committed in Howletnest Road on December 26 last year.

Last week, at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lady Scott ordered the thug to be supervised by the authorities following his release from custody.

She told him that she had no other option but to send him to prison. She said he would have been detained for a longer period if he had gone to trial.

She said: “The sentence will be one of four years and you will be supervised for two years.”

At proceedings last month, the court heard how the 48-year-old victim was a neighbour and there was no history of bad feeling between them.

In the early hours of Boxing Day the complainer went outside for a smoke and saw the accused, who was also smoking.

The two started chatting and the man invited the accused into his home. They had a few drinks and chatted.

Then, without warning, the accused produced a knife from the waistband of his trousers and struck the complainer on the left side of his neck and shouted: “Where’s your f****** money?”

The neighbour handed over £100, but the 17- year- old demanded more and became more aggressive.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire said: “The accused repeatedly nicked the complainer’s neck with the knife which caused him to fear for his life.”

The victim managed to run out of his house to a nearby property, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

He had been stabbed in the back and collapsed.

The man suffered multiple slash wounds to the left side of his neck and required stitches.

He suffered a collapsed lung due to the stab wound and had to have a chest drain inserted, but did not require surgery.

The 17-year-old also admitted stealing his neighbour’s car, drink driving and having no licence or insurance.

These offences were committed in Howletnest Road and nearby Knox Street, also on December 26.

The accused was seen by police leaving the car and holding a Buckfast bottle and then returning to the vehicle and throwing the bottle into it.

The neighbour confirmed that his car had been parked outside his home and he had not given the accused permission to drive it.

The court was told the accused has a record of convictions which began when he was 15. One involved an incident with a metal pole; another a baseball bat; and one for possession of a knife.

Defence advocate Margaret Breslin told the court her client had recently been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attempted murder Howletnest Road