A man who slashed a former friend’s neck in the middle of the street in Methil has been jailed.
Stewart Stoddard, 42, previously pled guilty to a charge of slashing Robert Muirhead’s neck on May 14 last year, leaving him injured and permanently disfigured.
After carrying out the mid-morning assault, Stoddard, of Menzies Road in Aberdeen, told his former friend: “Next time it’ll be your jugular.”
‘No alternative to custody’
The threat was referenced by Sheriff James Williamson as part of the reason he jailed Stoddard for 30 months on Monday.
The sheriff said: “This is a significant escalation in violence.
“In these circumstances, there’s no alternative to custody.”
Stoddard’s solicitor David Bell explained his client’s last prison sentence was in 2016.
“It’s recognised that this is a serious matter,” he said.
“He does have a criminal record but nothing of this level.
“He seems to have stayed out of trouble since this incident.
“He’s not presenting as a significant risk to the public at this time.”
Former friends fell out
At a previous hearing, fiscal depute Ronnie Hay said: “The accused and the complainer were previously friends.
“They had a falling out in March 2020.
“At 10.30am on May 14 2021, the complainer was on Whyterose Terrace in Methil.
Stoddard confronted Mr Muirhead and made a comment about him telling others he was a sex offender.
Mr Hay said: “The accused stated: ‘I’m going to kill you’.”
He said Stoddard swung his right hand towards Mr Muirhead, who felt “a scratch.”
After striking him with the knife, Stoddard said: “Next time, that’ll be your jugular.”
The knife was described as being “a couple of inches” long.
Help sought from passer-by
Mr Muirhead had to ask a passer-by to contact police and paramedics.
He was left with a laceration to the back of his neck, which measured around four to five centimetres long but he did not attend hospital.
Stoddard admitted assaulting Mr Muirhead by threatening to kill him and striking him on the neck with a knife.
The Crown dropped part of the allegation that the injury suffered by Mr Muirhead was “severe”.
At the last hearing, solicitor David McLaughlin said: “The only thing he brings up is the size of the blade.
“This was a penknife rather than what was first described as being a craft knife.”
