An unprovoked knife attack on a man in a house in Leuchars resulted in the perpetrator being sent to jail for three years.
Scott Welch plunged a knife into the abdomen of Patrick McCurdy three times, leaving him soaked in blood.
Welch claimed that the assault, in Warwick Close, was over an earlier assault in which he was the victim but passing sentence at Cupar Sheriff Court on Thursday, Sheriff Charles Macnair said there had been no evidence of that.
Five months later Welch also assaulted a 12-year-old boy in a park in the village, for which he was given an additional 54 days in jail.
Welch, of Norman View, Leuchars, was found guilty by a jury of assaulting Mr McCurdy on December 6, 2009, repeatedly stabbing him to his severe injury.
Sheriff Macnair told him, “This was, on the evidence, wholly unprovoked. Even if there had been an earlier incident in which you came off worse, that would be absolutely no reason for you to return to the house and assault the complainer in the manner you did.
“You are perhaps fortunate that the injuries were not far more serious. If you stab a knife into someone the way you did it’s probably extremely fortunate you were not facing a far more serious charge.
“Often it’s a matter of chance as to whether such injuries are minor, serious or fatal.”
The sheriff added, “Knife crime in this country is notorious and the courts must be seen to be taking a very serious view. I do not consider that in the circumstances there is any alternative to a period of imprisonment.”
In the park incident Welch accompanied a co-accused to remonstrate with the victim, who was alleged to have kicked a four-year-old.
When he and Christopher Norman (29) arrived at the park at St Bunyans Place the boy who the court heard they thought was 14 was on a swing.
Norman, of Aitken Place, Leuchars, shook the swing until the boy fell off and Welch kicked him. The youngster was left with a bloody nose and redness to his back and face.
Both accused admitted the assault on May 2.
The court heard that Welch had no history of violence and had a full-time job until his mental and physical health began to deteriorate 10 years ago. Sheriff Macnair said he had limited the length of his sentence due to this.
Welch’s solicitor Alan Davie also said his client found it more and more difficult to cope with problems and had turned to drink. He was now getting psychiatric treatment.
On his release Welch will be placed under supervision for a year.
Norman was ordered to undertake 135 hours of community service.