A Dundee knifeman who left his victim permanently disfigured after three days of binging on drink and drugs is behind bars.
Convicted drug dealer Michael Torano, 33, left his victim scarred for life was in the attack in Dundee’s Craigie area.
He and another man arrived at their victim’s partner’s home on July 9 last year.
He said: “You’ll ken who I am – I’m Mikey Torano,” then pulled out the knife and slashed his face, a court previously heard.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin previously said the pair struggled and the man was not wounded further.
He needed 14 stitches for a one-cm-long cut and there is still a scar.
Handyman Torano pled guilty to the July 9 2022 assault at Mossgiel Crescent, which left his victim “severely” injured and permanently disfigured.
He was on bail at the time.
‘Existential crisis’
Torano was brought from prison to Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced following the completion of a social work report.
His solicitor Theo Finlay said: “It’s acknowledged that this is an extremely serious and violent offence.
“To some extent, it’s out of character.
“This was not planned. It was to some extent spontaneous.
“It occurred at a time when he had been binging on drugs and alcohol for two or three days.
“He hadn’t slept for two or three days.”
Mr Finlay explained Torano believed his victim was involved in the robbery of a mobile phone from a family member earlier in 2022.
The solicitor explained trained joiner Torano had been experiencing a crisis since stopping working.
Mr Finlay added his client was assessed as a medium risk of reoffending and was finding prison difficult as it meant being separated from his child.
He added: “It’s set against a background of really a continuing sort of existential crisis in his life.
“He had been in this slump for four years.
“The offence was committed against a background of substance misuse.
“There have been continuing difficulties with regard to that.”
Jailed
Sheriff Paul Brown sentenced Torano to 17 months imprisonment with post-release supervision.
He explained the sentence would have been 42 months, reduced to 37 for the plea of guilty.
The sheriff knocked off a further 20 months due to the time Torano has spent remanded in connection with the offence.
Sheriff Brown said: “You seem to acknowledge this is a serious matter.
“There’s no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
After Torano is released, he will be supervised for eight months.
This prison sentence will begin on January 15, following the completion of another sentence he is currently serving.
Drug offences
In May, Torano was jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of being concerned in the supply of a huge street Valium haul.
He had blamed his dead father for the haul of more than 55,500 tablets – worth around £27,000 – found in a cupboard at his mother’s home on November 3 2020.
Torano also had a cannabis cultivation at his sister’s flat, next door to his mother’s in Dundee‘s Linfield Street.
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