20 months in jail for knife attack

A knife attack was prompted by two friends falling out, a court heard yesterday.

It followed 24-year-old Ashley Watson going round to George Costa’s house in January to slash his tyres.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard he was challenged by Mr Costa who had seen Watson leave his garden late at night.

Watson, described as an Inverness prisoner, demanded to know why Mr Costa, who is in his early 50s, had stopped talking to him.

Watson then attacked his former pal while holding a knife.

Last month, Watson admitted assaulting Mr Costa on January 9 by repeatedly striking at him with a knife, gouging at one of his eyes and repeatedly striking him.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching his bail curfew by carrying out the attack when he should have been observing the court restriction.

Sentence had been deferred by Sheriff Margaret Neilson for a background report and yesterday she jailed Watson for 20 months.

It was backdated to January 10 when he was first remanded in custody.

The court heard that Watson had a record for violence, including a previous conviction for possessing a knife.

Sheriff Neilson told defence solicitor Marc Dickson: “It is possibly only luck that Mr Costa didn’t need more treatment.”

Mr Dickson said his client was struggling with his mother having been diagnosed with an illness and had turned to drink and drugs, adding: “He cannot recall with clarity what took place.”

“It is possibly only luck that he didn’t need more treatment”