Benbecula man guilty of stabbing

A MAN from Benbecula is behind bars after being convicted of attacking a woman on the island.

Angus MacDonald stabbed Anne Stewart once with a knife at a house in Griminish on January 2 of this year.

The 49-year- old, of Churchill, also in the Griminish area, had originally faced an allegation of attempted murder but, after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last week, MacDonald was found guilty of the reduced charge of assault.

The jury ruled that he had acted under provocation.

Judge Kenneth MacIver remanded MacDonald as he deferred sentencing until later this month for reports.

He told MacDonald: ‘This is a serious matter and I will have to impose a custodial sentence.’

The court heard how the woman had initially hit MacDonald during a drunken row. He then grabbed a knife and lashed out at his victim, who he had known for 12 years.

Following the incident, the victim required to have a chest drain inserted into her wound, which was described as potentially lifethreatening.

MacDonald had denied the attack and had lodged a special defence of self- defence.

The jury was told the woman has since left Benbecula.