A man who knifed a teenager during a wild Dundee house party has been jailed.
Christopher Walter, who has an extensive history of violence, was trying to eject party-goers from a flat in the city’s Dundonald Street after dozens of youngsters responded to an open invite on Facebook.
During the chaos, Walter stabbed 19-year-old Steven Donaldson in the stomach. The teenager needed emergency surgery to stop bleeding from a major artery and was left scarred for life.
Walter, 38, was found guilty of assaulting Mr Donaldson to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of his life following a trial at Livingston High Court in July.
He was also convicted of attacking Mr Donaldson’s 18-year-old girlfriend Chloe Reilly.
At the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, he was locked up for nine years and ordered to serve a further five years on license after his release.
Walter protested his innocence as he was led in handcuffs out of the court. “Nine years for nothing,” he ranted. “I never even touched the wee guy.”
Judge Lord Burns was told how Walter, described in court papers as a Perth prisoner, had a troubled childhood and had been a victim of bullying, neglect and abuse.
Solicitor advocate Chris Gilmartin said Walter had been called to the flat by a family friend, because she was having difficulty coping with the large number of youths who had congregated there.
He said there was no evidence that Walter had turned up carrying a weapon.
Lord Burns told Walter: “You have a very significant record for violence and this particular example is a serious one.
“This was an assault aggravated with the use of a knife, which had very serious consequences for a young man.”
He said: “It is plain to me that you should never have involved yourself in this event, and the consequences to your victims are immense.”
Lord Burns said Mr Donaldson was “lucky” not to have been more badly hurt.
The trial heard that the weapon, a blood-stained knife with a 112mm blade, was recovered by police from the hallway of the flat.
Mr Gilmartin had earlier argued that the evidence of some witnesses at the party could not be relied upon, because of the amount of drink and drugs they had taken.
He noted the victim’s admission that he had drunk three quarters of a bottle of vodka and half a bottle of Southern Comfort, as well as a drug cocktail of amphetamine, cocaine and cannabis.
Walter’s criminal record included five crimes of violence, including a conviction for attempted murder.
