A knife attacker who inflicted a “horrendous” wound on a man by slashing him from behind as been jailed for seven years and eight months.
Scott Vettrino cut his victim’s back, leaving him with a foot-long injury that needed about 40 staples to close.
Judge Lady Haldane told him such a violent attack, carried out in broad daylight with a bladed weapon, was behaviour that society could not tolerate.
She said it represented “a significant escalation” in offending by Vettrino, who has previous convictions for crimes of violence and public disorder.
The judge pointed out a background report considered he was a high risk of reoffending.
Vettrino, 35, had originally faced a charge of attempting to murder Thomas Cavanagh in the attack at Kirkside Court, Waggon Road, Leven, on June 4 in 2021.
However, a guilty plea to a reduced charge of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of life was accepted by the Crown.
Small blade left ‘horrendous injury’
The High Court in Edinburgh heard there had been an altercation involving the men but Mr Cavanagh had turned to leave.
Vettrino, who had fallen to the ground, got to his feet and produced a small knife and struck his victim from behind.
He slashed Mr Cavanagh, 44, from his rear left shoulder down the side of his back.
Unemployed Vettrino, formerly of North Street, Leven, had been abusing drugs, the court heard.
Defence counsel Ronnie Renucci KC said his client had no recollection of the actual assault but did not dispute he was responsible.
He said: “He still struggles to believe he did what happened.
“He accepts he has pled guilty to a serious matter and as such, a custodial sentence is inevitable.”
He said a relatively small bladed weapon was used in the assault but the result was “a horrendous looking injury”.
The defence counsel said there was a drugs background and Vettrino had been abusing benzodiazepines.
10 months cut from sentence
Lady Haldane said she noted Vettrino’s issues with addiction, adverse childhood experiences and trauma.
She told him he would have faced a further ten months in prison for the offence if he had taken the matter to trial and been convicted.
Vettrino followed the sentencing proceedings by a TV link to prison, where he has been held on remand.
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