A man who knifed his brother during a bloody brawl in the middle of a Dundee street has been ordered to perform unpaid work.
Liam Smith had blood running down his face when an off-duty police officer sprung into action to stop him from attacking his brother Reece in the Douglas area of the city.
His brother was left with a serious injury to his ring finger after being struck with a blade.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Smith no longer speaks to his brother and has since taken positive steps to turn his life around.
Slashed brother’s ring finger
The off-duty officer was visiting a relative on Banchory Road just before 10am when the chaos unfolded in the street.
“She heard a commotion and looked outside and saw the complainer and accused arguing in the street,” fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said.
“The accused had blood on his face. He returned from the close in possession of a knife.
“They were still arguing and he repeatedly tried to strike the complainer, but he managed to get on top of the accused and tried to remove the knife from his possession.
“The complainer was also in possession of a knife. The accused struck the complainer to the left hand causing an injury to the ring finger.”
The police officer ran outside and urged Smith, of Pitalpin Court, to stop but he continued to attack his brother.
Smith chased his brother along Ballindean Road with the pair eventually dispersing. A resident found the handle from a knife in the close but Smith picked it up and ran off.
Police traced him near St Pius Primary School with Smith claiming his brother had been throwing bricks at him.
‘I’m going to jail aren’t I?’
While being taken to Ninewells for treatment to his head injury, Smith said: “I took it too far. He came at me. I took a knife and I overdone it. I’m going to jail aren’t I?”
Smith, 28, required seven stitches to his forehead while his brother required plastic surgery for his finger injury and had his arm placed in a cast.
A guilty plea was tendered to causing Reece Smith severe injury on September 22 2022 by repeatedly trying to strike him with a knife before striking him on the body with a knife to his severe injury.
Smith returned to the dock for sentencing following the preparation of a social work report.
Solicitor Jim Caird presented Sheriff Paul Brown with a number of positive references in Smith’s favour.
Smith had previously undertaken a rehab programme for alcohol and substance misuse in Glasgow and was now engaging with addiction services as well as the Street Soccer scheme.
Mr Caird said: “He certainly has strong potential for the future.
“He and his brother were brought up in difficult circumstances. He sees this incident as going back to childhood experiences where they used to fight.
“He was attacked by his brother initially but takes full responsibility for the matter.
“He wants nothing to do with his brother.”
Sheriff Paul Brown ordered Smith to perform 150 hours of unpaid work and placed him on a 12-month restriction of liberty order.
Smith will remain indoors between 9pm and 7am during that period.
The sentences were imposed as a direct alternative to a prison term.
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