A “feral” slasher has admitted leaving a man permanently disfigured in a horrific knife attack.
The victim was left needing 17 stitches after being assaulted with a blade by 31-year-old Michael Hamilton.
He is now facing a lengthy prison sentence after he pled guilty to carrying out the attack, before robbing a man of his mobile phone the next day.
Hamilton, who has previous convictions for serious assault, targeted the man after involving himself in a dispute he knew nothing about, Dundee Sheriff Court heard.
He and his brother were heading to the Hilltown from Victoria Road when a woman began shouting at him.
The dispute ended in bloodshed after Hamilton arrived on the scene.
Slashed cheek
Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said: “The accused grabbed the complainer and slashed him to the right cheek with a blade.
“He felt the air pass through the wound on his cheek.
“It was similar to a razor and around six inches in length.
“The complainer ran to the Family Shopper while bleeding heavily and an ambulance was called to assist.”
The victim received 17 stitches to the right side of the mouth leading to the right cheek and his bottom lip.
He has been left permanently scarred.
‘Spontaneous madness’
The following day, Hamilton was in Bonnethill Court when he threatened a man and made him hand over his mobile phone and PIN.
The crook later sold the iPhone 12 for around £45.
Hamilton, remanded at HMP Perth, pled guilty to committing the offences on February 9 and February 10 this year.
Solicitor Theo Finlay said his client, a former scaffolder, had most of his adult life blighted by drug abuse after previously possessing a strong work ethic.
He said: “Things really reached the depths around the time of these offences.
“He was homeless, living an almost feral lifestyle, staying in people’s flats or alternatively, sleeping rough.
“CCTV shows some of the events with a close-up of an individual who is particularly ragged, strung-out and very unkempt.
“There was nothing planned in any of this, it was really just spontaneous madness.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until January for a social work report to be prepared.
The purpose of the report is to assess Hamilton’s suitability for a supervised release order.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
