A “brotherly fight” ended in bloodshed when a man was attacked by his knife-wielding twin.
Kenneth Tough, 36, grabbed two blades before fighting with his identical twin James Tough at an address in Arbroath.
Bad blood brewed between the pair but all has been forgiven, with a sheriff receiving a letter of support from his brother.
Kenneth Tough pled guilty to fighting with his brother while holding two knives and injuring him on June 27 last year on Railton Crescent.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how police later discovered the knives wrapped in plastic which had been stuffed in a cereal box and placed in a grit bin.
“It’s taking the definition of brotherly fight a little far,” Sheriff Paul Ralph said.
Brawling brothers
The court was told an argument broke out between the brothers and other extended family the previous night but Tough was in no mood to put the issue behind him.
Prosecutor Rachel Hill said: “At around 7.04am the following day, the accused returned and was met by James Tough who goes to the rear garden and is followed by the accused.
“As he enters the garden, the accused removes two knives from his rear waistband.
“A struggle ensues and the accused retreats down the path.”
A woman stepped between the brawling brothers, with Tough still holding a knife in each hand.
Police were contacted by a nearby resident who heard someone say: “Give me the knife”.
Kenneth Tough, a dad-of-four, was found shirtless with blood on his hands and body.
James Tough said he had been in a fight with his brother and was treated for superficial injuries to his body and a 1cm cut to his thumb.
No ill will
Solicitor Keith Sym said: “He had not gone with the knives on him. The knives were sitting on the bunker.
“He hoped by having them in his hand that his brother would back off.
“Kenneth Tough’s position is that he didn’t dispose of the knives – he dropped them but others put them in a grit bin.
“He didn’t have the time to do that.
“His brother holds no ill will towards him, notwithstanding what went on between them.”
Tough, remanded at HMP Perth, has a host of previous convictions and was handed a jail term in 2021 for trying to rob a shopkeeper at knifepoint.
Sheriff Ralph said: “I hope some time apart will allow for some smoothing of the waters.”
Tough is now free from custody after being sentenced to 12 months in prison, which was backdated to June 2024.
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