An Arbroath woman has been acquitted of a stabbing in which a man lost more than half a pint of blood.
The complainer was found by a paramedic outside a convenience store in Arbroath and a trail of blood led back to Katie Reid’s home.
Reid stood trial at Forfar Sheriff Court, accused of severely injuring and permanently impairing the man in a knife attack on April 18 2022.
She claimed she was acting in self defence while on the receiving end of what her lawyer said “could have been a murderous attack.”
Reid was acquitted by jurors following a trial before Sheriff Krista Johnston.
Two stab wounds
The court heard paramedic Ripley Williams arrived outside the Family Shopper store in Fisheracre, Arbroath, just after 10.10pm.
There, the medical professional found the complainer nursing two injuries.
The man had a wound on his right arm just above the elbow, stretching an inch and a half wide.
Another puncture wound – one centimetre wide – was located on the middle of the man’s back.
It was the paramedic’s professional estimate the man had lost between 350 and 400ml of blood.
Two minutes after he was discovered, Reid herself made a 999 call.
The man arrived at Ninewells just before 11.40pm where he was confirmed to have a superficial facial injury and two stab wounds.
He suffered a loss of sensation to the ulna nerve and was referred to a plastic surgeon.
The next day, a consultant plastic surgeon saw him and it was confirmed he would suffer issues with hand function, grip and numbness, which may be permanent.
Self-defence claim
Police arrived at the property in Culloden Crescent shortly after the complainer was traced, around 60 metres away form where he was discovered.
Inside, they found Reid, now listed in court papers as being of Dundee, with blood streaked and drying on her face.
When she was charged by police, Reid told officers: “Are you f***ing joking, it was him that assaulted me with a knife.”
The court heard the 6’2″ complainer had earlier put two hands around Reid’s throat and pushed her against a wall.
In the dock, Reid denied the single charge of assaulting the complainer by kicking him on the body and repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife to his severe injury and permanent impairment.
At the time of the incident, Reid was on a bail order from Forfar Sheriff Court and three bail orders from Dundee.
‘Murderous attack’
She lodged a special defence of self-defence.
Solicitor advocate Bill Adam explained to jurors self-defence applies when accused are under attack or imminently will be, have no escape route and act proportionately.
He told jurors: This is a very serious matter for her.
“Think how scared she would have been.”
He said Reid was being subjected to “what could have been a murderous attack.”
Fiscal depute Callum Gordon told jurors prior to their deliberations: “The complainer was stabbed twice by the accused.
“There is a trail of blood leading to her house.”
However, the majority of jurors found the allegation against the 33-year-old not proven.
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