A knifeman who repeatedly stabbed his cousin at his Fife home has been jailed.
Dean Heaney, 27, pled guilty to assaulting the man to his severe injury at the property in Methil on May 20 this year.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard Heaney’s victim sustained three puncture wounds to his back and shoulder, which all needed stitches.
Day at beach ended in violence
Prosecutor Jamie Hilland told the court Heaney, his partner and their baby had travelled from Glasgow to Leven and they spent the day at the beach and promenade with his client’s cousin.
During the day, Heaney and the man were drinking cans of Budweiser and Heaney told his partner he had been taking cocaine.
The fiscal depute said the three adults were later drinking at the house in Methil and an argument started, during which Heaney made a “cheeky remark” towards the man, who elbowed him, causing him to fall back and hit his head on a door frame.
Both men then started fighting.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the back multiple times.”
The victim then grabbed hold of Heaney and got him out of the house.
The fiscal continued: “When the complainer has turned to go back in, the accused struck him with a hard object to the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground”.
Puncture wounds
The court heard the householder was “bleeding heavily” from a deeper puncture wound to his upper left back and was taken by ambulance to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital.
He was found to have a 2cm-deep puncture wound to his upper left back or shoulder blade which needed stitches.
Two further 1cm puncture wounds to his left shoulder required stitches, as did a 2cm cut to his chin.
When police arrived at the address that night, there was still blood in the living room and the blade of a kitchen knife in front of the TV stand.
Mr Hilland said: “There were signs of a disturbance in the kitchen, with various utensils strewn over the floor, apparent blood spotting and blood on the hallway radiator.”
Spotted on street ‘covered in blood’
Around half an hour later, at 11.40pm, police were in the vicinity of Leven bus station spotted Heaney “covered in the blood”, with his partner, and he was arrested.
He had a cut to the left side of his face and some scratches and grazes but did not require medical treatment.
Heaney, who appeared in court by video link to prison, pled guilty to assault to severe injury.
Defence lawyer Neal McShane pointed out his client was not the first to resort to violence on the night but added: “He is very sorry”.
Mr McShane said Heaney had been avoiding alcohol for a significant period of time prior to this offence as it has led to problems in the past and intends to remain abstinent in future.
Heaney, from Glasgow, has served two previous prison terms of 14 and 15 months in 2021 and 2017 respectively.
Sheriff Craig McSherry jailed Heaney for 28 months, backdated to May 22 this year.
The sheriff said he would have considered a 48-month sentence but took into account that he was not the instigator of the fighting, as well as the early plea.
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