A Dundee dad sliced his hands as he tried to protect himself during a terrifying knife attack in his living room.
Steven Getty was watching TV when drugged-up neighbour Euan Boyes smashed his way into their home, booting the door off its hinges.
Boyes grabbed a breadknife and swung it at Mr Getty, who clutched the blade with both hands in an effort to stop the assault.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Boyes held the knife to Mr Getty’s throat.
Boyes was jailed for 42 months for both the assault on Mr Getty in Dundee’s Provost Road in March and a separate violent disturbance at a taxi office in Perth five months earlier.
Sheriff Gillian Wade told the 27-year-old: “It is extremely disturbing that you have gone from having no convictions at all, to this.
“You will appreciate that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.
“And that has to be a sentence of some duration to reflect the harm that has been caused.”
Home invasion
Fiscal depute Jamie Dunbar said Mr Getty was at home when he heard a loud bang outside.
“He pulled open the curtains and he saw the accused standing directly outside his window.
Boyes told him to “come outside”.
Mr Getty opened the window and Boyes tried to punch him.
“In turn Mr Getty tried to punch the accused,” said Mr Dunbar.
“This angered the accused, who punched the window causing it to shatter.
“He then went into the common close area and once inside he began kicking the front door of Mr Getty’s flat.
“Mr Getty tried to keep the door closed, however the accused gained entry to the hallway and began punching Mr Getty on the head and body.”
Mr Dunbar told the court: “During the course of the struggle, the accused pulled Mr Getty’s T-shirt off over his head and fell backwards out into the common close.
“This allowed Mr Getty to retreat into his lounge and shut the door.
“Mr Getty then picked up a knife in an effort to protect himself.”
Eight-inch blade
Boyes walked into the property and kicked the living room door off its hinges.
Boyes hurled the door at Mr Getty, grabbed the dropped knife and and swung it at his victim.
Mr Dunbar said: “In an attempt to defend himself, Mr Getty grabbed hold of the blade of the knife with both hands.
“He suffered cuts.
“The accused forced him backwards to the wall and held the knife at his throat.
“He then walked out of the property with the knife in his hand.”
Police found the weapon, described as a bread knife with an eight-inch serrated blade, on the pavement outside.
Mr Dunbar said: “Mr Getty was shaking and bleeding heavily from his hands.”
He was taken to Ninewells Hospital for treatment to cuts to his hands, and bruises to his face and body.
Boyes was found by police, hiding in his bedroom cupboard.
Taxi office rampage
The court heard Boyes was at the centre of another disturbance at Radio Taxis’ office in South Street, Perth, at 3am on November 18.
Told there would not be a taxi available, he shouted at an employee: ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’.
He threatened to stab another man.
Boyes left the office and Ms Stewart closed the door to prevent him coming back.
Outside, he picked up a bin and hurled it at the office window causing it to crack, then shattered it with a kick.
He then threatened police who arrived on the scene and was restrained using PAVA spray
Solicitor David Holmes said: “Both offences were committed after Mr Boyes had consumed alcohol and taken valium.
“He has no memory of the incident in Perth and only some memory of what happened in Dundee.”
