An Angus man who stabbed his neighbour in a drunken dispute has been told to expect a “substantial” prison sentence next month.
One of Brechin’s main streets was left covered in “pools of blood” after Simon Walker stabbed James Alan in August this year.
Walker, 25, appeared from custody at Forfar Sheriff Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Alan by striking him repeatedly on the body with a knife to his severe injury and the danger of his life.
Mr Alan, 35, sustained “life-threatening” wounds and required hospital treatment following the incident on Montrose Street at around 2.20am on August 16.
Depute fiscal Douglas Wiseman said the victim’s house, the street outside and the exterior of Walker’s flat were all bloody after the incident.
Walker, now a prisoner in Perth, lived approximately 20 metres away.
Mr Wiseman said Mr Alan’s home had “obvious bloodstains and signs of struggle” and there was blood in his common close.
There were “heavy bloodstains” along a 100-metre stretch of road between the flats, and where Mr Alan “last collapsed” in the street.
He said the accused had been drinking with a witness at around 7pm on August 15 and remained at the Victoria Bar, where they were joined by two barmaids before the group walked to a nearby caravan park to continue drinking.
Two police officers saw Mr Alan outside the accused’s house at 2.05am.
He later went to his own house with Walker, where he began to cry over the death of a family member.
Mr Wiseman said Walker attempted to “console him” but Mr Alan reacted angrily and the pair began wrestling.
The court heard Walker then ran back to his own flat to get a knife after he was hit in the face with a vodka bottle by Mr Alan.
He used the knife to stab Mr Alan twice.
Mr Wiseman said witnesses heard him repeat: “I’ve stabbed him, I’ve stabbed him.”
He was also heard in the street shouting: “I’ve stabbed Jim. He’s lying there dead. Phone the bobbies.”
Police later found the blade of a knife that had come away from its handle in Mr Alan’s flat, under his blood-stained shirt.
A search of Walker’s flat found one knife was missing from a block in the kitchen.
Mr Wiseman said police were alerted to reports of a stabbing and several units attended to the two men in the street.
Officers observed Walker’s wounds to his face at this point.
Mr Wiseman added: “The complainer got to his feet and became very aggressive towards the accused.
“He tried to get to the police car and collapsed again next to it.”
Mr Alan had his chest drained because he had suffered a punctured lung from the second wound, which caused extensive surgical emphysema and came close to damaging a ventricle of the heart.
The accused received stitches near his eye, behind one ear and one shoulder.
Walker originally said at interview: “I definitely didn’t stab him”, only stating he had received a blow to the head and did not remember anything.
Walker had originally denied assaulting a male by striking him repeatedly on the body with a knife to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life. His plea to an amended charge, omitting permanent disfigurement, was accepted by the Crown.
Defending Walker, solicitor Simon Whyte accepted previous convictions.
Sheriff Gregor Murray deferred sentence to December 18 for social work reports.