A brave young Fife woman has vowed not to be defeated by the violent thug who almost claimed her life in a random attack.
Robbie Lowther waited until Morbheinn McTavish was alone before stabbing her, leaving her with a pierced liver.
He had earlier told strangers in a Tayport pub that he was “just out (of prison), but not for long”.
Morbheinn was present at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday to see him jailed and told The Courier: “The sentence should have been longer”.
The 23-year-old added: “He might serve only half of this sentence and I don’t believe three years is enough time for him to change.
“It will certainly take time for me to heal and get my confidence back and I know it won’t come back just because he’s behind bars.
“Friends and family have been amazing and I know that if it wasn’t for them then I wouldn’t be doing as well as I am.
“I won’t lie down and I will try and get back to normal as soon as possible. The battle for me is not letting him win.”
Lowther, 23, of Cross Street in Tayport, who has previous convictions for possessing a knife, admitted assaulting his victim to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life on January 2 this year by striking her with a knife in the town’s Craig Road.
He had followed her from the Tayport Arms and once she had separated from a friend shouted at her to gain her attention before stabbing her and running off.
Depute advocate Jim Keegan QC told the High Court: “It appears that the victim was selected at random by the accused and stabbed by him.
“He attacked her after her friend had left, stabbing her in the midriff. He clearly intended to do her serious harm.”
Morbheinn staggered back to her home in Tayport and had her mother rush her to Ninewells Hospital, by which time she had lost almost two litres of blood.
A CT scan showed a penetrating injury to her liver, and although that healed she has been left with a permanent scar.
Lowther, a former agriculture student, subsequently told a psychiatrist he had fantasised about attacking someone.
Lord Uist told Lowther: “I am in no doubt you are a dangerous man and the public must be protected from you.”