A Coupar Angus man has been found guilty of stabbing a stranger.
A jury of 10 men and five women took just 35 minutes to deliver a majority verdict on Thursday following the trial of Kevin Comiskey.
The 31-year-old was found guilty of assaulting James Sutcliffe on December 8 or 9 at his Church Lane home by stabbing him on the head and body to his severe injury.
He denied the offence, although he admitted there had been a scuffle between him and the victim and ”didn’t know” what happened next.
Giving evidence at Perth Sheriff Court, Comiskey said a fight broke out after he woke up in the living room of his flat to find Mr Sutcliffe in a compromising position.
After 10 valium pills and several cans of lager, Comiskey fell asleep on the sofa.
”I woke up with my belt and buttons undone and he had his hands down my boxer shorts,” Comiskey told the court. ”I then tried to hit him on the face, but I didn’t properly connect the punch, so he punched me straight back.”
Comiskey had earlier told the jury that, as the pair made their way to his flat from a pub in the town, Mr Sutcliffe had collected a large knife he had hidden in a bush.
When they arrived at the property, the blade had been placed on the floor beside the sofa. Comiskey said Mr Sutcliffe picked the weapon up again when the disagreement began.
He continued: ”I thought he was coming for me and he was blocking both exits so I headed towards the fireplace and picked up an ornamental dagger to defend myself.
”He came for me we got into a bit of a scuffle and then I don’t know. It is likely that I could have stabbed him, though, because I was holding a dagger.”
Additional charges that Comiskey assaulted a police officer by biting him on the hand to his injury on December 9 were found not proven.
Deferring sentence until May 22 for the purpose of obtaining reports, Sheriff Robert McCreadie warned Comiskey that he faced a custodial disposal.