A Dundee man has been found guilty of attempted murder by slashing a woman’s neck.
Mark Watson, 56, stood over the vulnerable woman before leaving her with a four-inch wound to her throat at her address in the Charleston area.
The terrified victim told police: “He stabbed me everywhere like in the movies.”
Watson denied attempting to murder her with a kitchen knife on the morning of December 28 2022 and stood trial at the High Court in Dundee.
However, jurors rejected his version of events and found him guilty by a unanimous verdict.
The court was told how Watson and the woman had planned to spend Christmas together at her house on Craigowan Road.
It was claimed that the attack occurred at around 7.30am with Watson having been in and out of her bedroom during the night after drinking vodka.
The woman had said that everything between them was “good” and said Watson’s help for her had previously been “brilliant”.
The alarm was raised after the woman sought help from neighbour Karen Kemp the following day.
Ms Kemp described the woman as being “ghastly” and “really grey” while holding her neck at the front door.
She told the court: “She said it was the night before. She never got any help and said she was to phone anybody that night he would come back and finish her off.
“She said she woke up and whoever it was that was standing over her was stabbing her with a knife.”
Ms Kemp phoned 999 before police and paramedics raced to the scene.
Ambulance technician Alexander Bourke treated the woman for a three-inch cut to her thumb and first finger as well as a four-inch laceration across her throat.
The woman’s t-shirt was “dark stained” with blood from the neck down and was holding her throat when emergency services arrived.
Mr Bourke said under questioning from advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel: “She said her male friend was intoxicated.
“She said it was like something out of a horror film. She thought she was going to die.
“She said she was surprised she was still alive and went downstairs to seek help to a neighbour who called us.”
Sergeant Kirsten Kiddie met the woman in the back of the ambulance where she named Watson as the man responsible.
The officer said: “She said ‘he stabbed me everywhere like in the movies’.
“‘I was in my bed and bleeding everywhere’.”
The woman’s evidence was pre-recorded and played to jurors at the start of the trial.
Blood was found in various parts of the flat, including Watson’s own blood which the court heard was due to him self-harming.
Defence counsel Michael Meehan KC asked Watson in his own evidence: “She said you attacked her in her bed, did that happen?”
Watson replied: “No, it did not.”
When asked if he was there when she became injured, Watson said: “No.”
Watson claimed the woman had also self-harmed in the past and could see “old” cuts on her wrist.
During cross-examination, Ms Dalziel said: “I suggest the reason you felt low is because you had attacked her.
“She said she was bleeding heavily and asking you to help her and you said you couldn’t.”
Watson said: “No, I did not.”
The woman did not mention Watson’s self-harming during evidence, which Ms Dalziel claimed was because she was lying in her bed bleeding.
“Not at all,” Watson replied.
Watson, of Adamson Court, was found guilty of attempting to murder the woman by repeatedly striking her on the neck and body with a knife to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of her life in an attempt to murder her.
Mr Meehan said he would reserve mitigation until a social work report was prepared.
The defence counsel said: “He is aware that his status would change if convicted and would be remanded in custody.”
Judge Lord Renucci remanded Watson in custody until next month, when he will be sentenced at the same court.
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