A 25-year-old man, Liam McWhinnie, who stabbed his friend after a drinking session, narrowly avoided prison as he was given a community payback order at Airdrie Sheriff Court. McWhinnie pleaded guilty to assaulting his friend, causing severe injury and permanent disfigurement on December 1 last year.
The incident took place at McWhinnie’s home in Kilgarth Street, Coatbridge, around 10 pm after the two men had been drinking together. An altercation ensued, leading McWhinnie to ask his friend to leave. A scuffle broke out, during which McWhinnie grabbed a large kitchen knife and attacked his friend before pushing him out of the house and fleeing through the back door.
A neighbour discovered the victim sitting on a doorstep, clutching his stomach with blood-soaked clothing. Police officers provided emergency first aid before the victim was transported to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. The victim sustained a single penetrative wound to the abdomen and was later moved to the high dependency unit for observation.
Following the incident, police traced a blood trail to McWhinnie’s residence where they found a bloodstained knife with the victim’s blood and McWhinnie’s DNA on the handle. Despite having no prior convictions, McWhinnie was sentenced by Sheriff Paul Haran to two years of supervision, 300 hours of unpaid community work, and a four-month electronic tagging order confining him to his home between 8 pm and 6 am daily.
In summary, Liam McWhinnie narrowly escaped jail time after pleading guilty to assaulting his friend during a drinking session at his home in Coatbridge. The court sentenced him to a community payback order, supervision, community work, and electronic tagging. This incident serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of alcohol-fueled altercations and the importance of responsible behaviour to avoid such incidents in the future.