Knife attack thug is jailed

A BRUTAL thug who slashed a man outside a nightclub at 3am and then hid the knife in a pal’s bra has been jailed for five years and four months.

At the High Court in Glasgow, 30-year-old John McCormack admitted striking Brian Farquhar on the neck to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, on May 24, last year.

The court was told that Mr Farquhar had left Victoria’s after a night out there and was involved in a fight.

At this point McCormack ran into the middle of the fight and slashed Mr Farquhar on the side of the neck. Seconds later Mr Farquhar is seen putting a hand to the side of his face which was covered in blood.

The violent attack by McCormack was captured on CCTV.

As police and medics arrived on the scene McCormack gave the knife to a friend Shanice McDaid and asked her to keep it in her bra.

The two walked along Sauchiehall Street towards McDonalds and then McCormack took the knife back.

Advocate depute Heather Carmichael, prosecuting, said: “The accused was seen on CCTV footage walking along Sauchiehall Street in the company of Shanice McDaid.

“Both walked past police officers who had arrived and were dealing with other men who had been involved in the fighting.

“The accused had concealed his knife in Shanice McDaid’s bra to avoid detection should he be searched by the police.”

Defence counsel Thomas Ross said: ‘My client is terribly sorry for what he did.”

Judge Nigel Morrison told McCormack the only possible sentence was a custodial one, but discounted his sentence because of his early plea.