An armed attacker who wounded two teenagers at a canal footpath after he was freed on bail has been jailed for five years.
Max Roberts-Dineen, 35, encountered the girl and boy and assaulted both victims with a knife as they made their way along beside the Caledonian Canal, in Inverness.
A court previously heard that neither of the victims knew Roberts-Dineen before he launched the attacks on them on August 19 last year.
At the High Court in Aberdeen today Roberts-Dineen was handed an extended sentence of eight years, of which five will be served behind bars.
Judge Frank Mulholland told him: “You are clearly a menace to the public and I will protect the public from your cowardly, thuggish behaviour.”
Followed teens before horrific attack
Roberts-Dineen admitted stabbing the 16-year-old boy on the body with a knife to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of life at the footpath near to the Seaport marina in Inverness.
He also pled guilty to assaulting the 15-year-old girl by striking her on the body with the knife to her injury.
Roberts-Dineen committed the offences after he was released on bail on May 15 last year at Inverness Sheriff Court.
He also admitted that on May 12 last year at Glenurquhart Road, in Inverness, he acted in a threatening manner by following two men walking their dogs, brandishing a knife at them and threatening to stab them.
During the later incident, the teenagers were walking along the towpath with the boy on his bike and the girl on foot when they became aware of Roberts-Dineen.
Advocate depute Brian Gill KC previously told the court: “Neither of them knew the accused.”
Roberts-Dineen struck the boy with a knife leaving him bleeding heavily from his side and struck the girl on the back with the weapon.
The boy was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and a chest drain was inserted after he was found to have suffered a collapsed lung.
The prosecutor said he is expected to make a full recovery but has been left with a scar. The girl sustained a superficial injury.
‘Although he remembers little, he accepts full responsibility’
Defence advocate Bill Adams told the court that at the time of these offences, his client had been “living a lonely and isolated life” that was a result of him being diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.
“He has suffered from issues with his mental health and anxiety,” Mr Adams said.
“In the lead up to these offences, Mr Roberts-Dineen realises had turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the anxiety and paranoia that stemmed from his autism and mental health condition.”
Turning the circumstances of the offence, Mr Adams said Roberts-Dineen “remembers little” of what happened due to his high level of intoxication and the fact that he had been “drinking in the days and weeks leading up to these events”.
“Although he remembers little, he accepts full responsibility for his actions and offers no excuses for what happened to the complainers,” the defence advocate said.
“He is appalled by his behaviour and is deeply sorry for what he did – he would like to express his heartfelt apologies.”
‘You are fortunate that you are not facing a charge of murder’
Sentencing Roberts-Dineen, Judge Frank Mulholland told him: “You pled guilty to three charges of brandishing a knife at four complete strangers.
“Being intoxicated is no excuse, if anything it’s an aggravation.
“In the first charge you brandished a knife at two members of the public who were doing no more than walking on a canal path and minding their own business – what you did must have been terrifying for them.
“You were quickly apprehended and appeared in court where you were granted bail pending your trial.
“Despite this being a clear warning to you, three months later you were at it again, brandishing a knife at another two members of the public who were minding their own business and posing no threat to you.
“This kind of criminal conduct escalated as you used a knife to stab a 16-year-old boy in the chest, inflicting life-threatening injuries on him.
“You are fortunate that you are not facing a charge of murder, which is down to the skill of the medical team who treated him and not you.
“You also struck a 15-year-old girl on the back with your knife.
“You are clearly a menace to the public and I will protect the public from your cowardly, thuggish behaviour.”
Describing his crimes as “appalling”, Judge Mullholland sentenced Roberts-Dineen to an extended sentence of eight years where he will serve five years in prison and three years on supervision upon his release.