A MAN wandered the streets of Perth with three stab wounds to his chest after an altercation at a city centre flat.
His attacker, William Black (37), was jailed for over two years when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday.
Black, of County Place, admitted assaulting another man on February 20 by arguing with him, engaging him in a stand-up fight and repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife, all to his injury.
The court heard that Black was already serving a 26-month prison sentence for carrying a knife and had previous convictions for assault and robbery and assaulting police officers.
Depute fiscal Charmaine Cole said: “The incident took place partly at the accused’s flat.
“The circumstances of how it started, as far as the complainer is concerned, are unclear.
“A great deal of alcohol had been taken and the complainer was heavily intoxicated.
“He is described in the medical report as having consumed at least 10 pints.”
Ms Cole told the court an argument developed between Black and his victim.
She said: “The argument escalated and they both squared up to each other and engaged in a stand-up fight.
“The complainer described how he thought he had been punched to the chest area, but then realised he had been stabbed.
“He said it was the accused who had stabbed him and was found to have three separate wounds to his chest.
“After sustaining the stabbing injuries he left the building and was found wandering the streets of Perth city centre.”
Passers-by noticed the victim was bleeding from his chest and one woman used her cardigan to stem the flow of blood.
The complainer was taken to hospital, where his wounds were cleaned and stitched.
Defence agent Paul Ralph said Black was “well known” to the police, adding: “Before this offence was committed his lifestyle was entirely chaotic.
“His best recollection of the circumstances are that although he had seen the complainer and had been in his company, he is not someone he is friendly with.
“He had not invited the complainer into his flat, but he had managed to make his way in, anyway.
“Two witnesses confirmed that at some point Mr Black was hanging out of his window, asking for help because he was getting hassled in the flat.
“They went in and saw a fight break out.”
The knife used in the incident was believed to have been a short-bladed kitchen knife, although it was never recovered.
Mr Ralph added: “Mr Black accepts that he is fortunate the injuries were not more serious.”
Describing a prison sentence as “inevitable”, Sheriff Valerie Johnston said: “The courts have repeatedly warned that knife attacks will be dealt with severely, given how serious the consequences can be.
“This was a drunken attack in which the lack of serious consequences was a matter of luck. There were three stab wounds, two of which were in an area where the major organs are located.”
Black was jailed for 27 months.
sgillespie@thecourier.co.uk