Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I thought knife thug was going to slash son’s face so I put my hand up to stop it, just as any dad would Celtic fans tell of finger hack horror
A DAD has told how he had his finger hacked off defending his son from a knife-wielding thug as they celebrated Celtic’s Treble Treble win.
John Malone lost part of his ring finger and son Conor was stabbed in the chest when they were brutally attacked in a Glasgow street by Sean Doherty, 30, in May last year.
John, 53, was hailed a hero for protecting Conor, 25, in the attack, which came after Doherty barged into the dad on the city’s Gallowgate.
The father and son from Belfast described Doherty as “an animal” yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to attacking them after Celtic’s historic Scottish Cup win over Hearts.
Dad-of-two John told the Mirror: “I just did what any father would do – try to protect my son.
“We were very lucky if you ask me. As long as we’re still here, that’s the main thing.”
The pair had just left a bar and were walking down the street when Doherty came out of a takeaway and bumped into John, sparking a confrontation.
John said: “I told him to calm down and he said to Conor, ‘Have you got a f ***** g problem?’
“Within a matter of minutes it had kicked off and I just remember seeing the blade. I thought he was going to slash
Conor’s face and put my hand up to stop it, as any father would do.
“Withing two or three seconds, a policewoman grabbed me and pinned me against a shutter. My friend was shouting, ‘Get a cloth to cover his hand’.
“I never felt a thing but my finger was hanging on by a piece of flesh. I could just see the blood squirting out. “Conor took his top off to stem the bleeding and that’s when I realised Conor had been slashed in the chest as well.”
Conor didn’t realise he had been stabbed until after the attack, because of the shock.
He said: “If it wasn’t for the police it would have been a completely different scenario. They were on it in seconds. A female officer grabbed the guy and put him against the wall while other officers ran over. She was absolutely fantastic.
“At that point the blood was squirting from my dad’s finger. He had severed through the bone.
“A police officer ran towards me and said, ‘I need you to sit down’. I thought I was being arrested. Then my father shouted, ‘Conor, listen to the officer, you’ve been stabbed in the chest’.
“I looked down and my chest was flowing with blood. It was everywhere.”
Medics operated on John’s finger the next day but were only able to save part of it. Conor was discharged later that night after his wound was glued, but he has been left with a scar.
Hotel storeman John said: “It still hurts and is still swollen. I just can’t get used to my finger not being there. What kind of human being does that? I just hope he gets what he deserves.”
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how Doherty, of Cumbernauld, was found trying to ditch the bloodstained knife and hurled insults including “rapists” and “paedos” at officers.
As well as pleading guilty to assaulting John and attacking Conor, Doherty admitted possessing a knife and acting in a threatening manner.
Sheriff Joan Kerr remanded him in custody pending sentencing next month.
Conor said: “It was a horrific thing to endure. It didn’t really hit us until we stepped off the plane in Belfast. We just looked at each other and said, ‘We’re lucky’.”