A householder watched as a 33-year-old Inverness man was “swinging a knife like a madman” at another during a violent confrontation in a quiet street.
Now Martin Henderson, of Springfield Gardens, is facing a jail sentence after admitting assaulting Lee Morrison in Gilbert Street, Inverness by presenting a knife at him, and striking him on the head and body to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
The offence took place in the early hours of February 3 when a local resident was wakened by the sound of a disturbance outside.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday that Mr Morrison was the initial aggressor but Henderson drew a large kitchen knife.
“He was seen to make a series of frenzied slashes in the direction of Morrison who was observed to attempt to strike back with his fists ‘lashing out’.
“The witness reported to the police that Henderson was swinging the knife like a madman and was heard to repeatedly shout: ‘I am going to stab you,'” Mr Weir went on.
The court heard that when officers arrived, the two men were exchanging blows on the ground. Henderson then removed a baseball hat from his head and revealed a significant injury to his right ear.
Mr Weir said that officers noticed that 2cm was missing from the ear.
Henderson then pointed to Morrison and stated: “He bit my ear off.” Both men were arrested.
When Henderson was taken to Burnett Road and searched, nine tablets of Class C drug Xanax were found in his possession. He admitted this offence and a breach of a bail curfew as well as previous convictions. Morrison sustained and number of cuts to his face, ear, stomach and arm with the facial injuries resulting in permanent scarring, the court was told.
Sentence was deferred until December 18 for a social background report. Sheriff Fleetwood continued Henderson’s bail.
He told him: “The use of a knife in a public street in this way is such that I find it hard to see that there will be an alternative to a prison sentence. But I will see what the report says.”