Victim tells court of horror knife attack
BY RON MOORE A THUG ran off with his pal’s Playstation – after scarring him for life in a horrific slashing.
Paul Chalmers, 24, knifed Derek McLaughlin, 28, on the face after they tried to pawn the games console.
He was free to carry out the attack after being released early from prison for pepper spraying a heavily pregnant teenager.
Chalmers was found guilty of attacking Derek after trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
Derek gave evidence against his former friend. He said: “I got slashed. It was Paul Chalmers. That f ***** g idiot slashed me. I was shocked. I was covered in blood.
“He stole my bag off me. He said, ‘Give me your bag’, and I said, ‘f*** off ’.”
The court heard the men hadn’t pawned the console as shop staff were unable to test if it was working.
Chalmers pounced near Leisureland amusements on High Street, Paisley, on September 29. The jury was played CCTV footage of Derek being dragged along the ground by a man wearing a hi-vis vest. He was left covered in blood while the attacker ran off.
He insisted the man in the video was Chalmers.
Derek has been left with a nine-inch scar running from his left cheek to his ear. Prosecutor David McDonald said: “The assault was done in under 40 seconds. Forty seconds and that left Derek McLaughlin with the scars that we’ve seen – scars he’ll have for the rest of his life.”
Chalmers blasted Chantelle Heron in the eyes with pepper spray when she was 37 weeks pregnant and was jailed for 16 months last May. He was released in August and attacked Derek six weeks later.
Chalmers will be sentenced next month.