A man who repeatedly stabbed another man who he believed had an “inappropriate” photo of his girlfriend on a mobile phone has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Liam Holburn, 26, attacked Andrejs Sokolovs, 38, after the pair became involved in a confrontation at a house in Dee Gardens, Dundee, on April 29 2019.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the pair started arguing and Mr Sokolovs produced a knife.
Holburn disarmed Mr Sokolovs and then stabbed him seven times on the head and body.
One stab wound pierced Mr Sokolovs’ cheek and cut his tongue and another entered just above his lung. Holburn, a prisoner in HMP Perth, was charged with attempted murder but pled guilty at the High Court in Aberdeen to assaulting Mr Sokolovs to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and endangering life.
Yesterday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Kinclaven sent Holburn to prison.
He said: “You have accepted responsibility for a serious offence. However, there is no other appropriate sentence; there is no other way of dealing with you.
“The sentence will be one of four-and- a-half years.”
At proceedings last month, the court heard from Holburn’s former girlfriend Samantha King.
She said they were arguing with each other when Mr Sokolovs became involved in the confrontation.
Mr Sokolovs had a photo of her on his phone – he later denied this but prosecution lawyer Blair Speed said his admission meant the witness’s reliability could be questioned.
The court heard that Mr Sokolovs was left “permanently disfigured” by the attack.
Defence advocate Matt Jackson QC yesterday told the court his client had a “traumatic childhood” and had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Mr Jackson said his client had expressed remorse and knew that he was facing a prison sentence.
“He is fully aware that he could have taken the man’s life with his actions and this thought haunts him.”
Mr Jackson also said if Holburn had not pled guilty, he would have used a defence of provocation in his closing speech to jurors.
He added: “The situation was a very unusual one. The complainer had the knife, became disarmed and then the accused used the knife on him.”
