A man who pulled a knife on his ex-girlfriend outside a block of flats in Aberdeen later told police that she makes him “crazy”.
Jaie Cowie had earlier been stabbed during an apparent knife fight in Mastrick.
Then he staggered into a car park at Stockethill Court, where he spotted his former partner.
Next, the 22-year-old grabbed his ex by her hair, threatening her with a long blade.
But innocent bystanders – a young mum with her five-year-old child – both found themselves in the middle of the confrontation.
However, Cowie apologised to them and tried to hide the knife behind his back, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Cowie’s stab wound to the back was later treated in hospital.
When arrested by police, Cowie told them: “I’m not normally like this, but she makes me crazy”.
Cowie seen dressed all in black holding a knife before he was stabbed
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told the court, around 7.15pm on May 23 this year, a resident at Oldcroft Place in Aberdeen saw Cowie dressed all in black and holding a large knife.
CCTV footage showed Cowie jumping from a BMW 1 Series and brandishing a knife at an unknown male, who got him on the ground before stabbing him in the back.
Cowie then walked along two streets through a car park toward Stockethill Court, where he saw his ex-girlfriend trying to enter the high-rise building with two friends.
“He ran towards the complainer and her friends and attempted to seize her on the body while pulling the large knife from his trouser pocket,” Mr Middleton explained.
“One of the complainer’s friends tried to get between the complainer and the accused and attempted to keep him at bay.
“The accused repeatedly attempted to seize the complainer on the body while brandishing the large knife.”
‘I’m not normally like this, but she makes me crazy’
Cowie then grabbed his ex-partner’s hair but let go and walked away, before running back and pulling the knife on her.
He was again seen grabbing her jacket and holding up the knife as her friends stood between the pair and tried to fend off Cowie.
As a friend managed to push Cowie away, he ran back one more time and grabbed the woman by the hair one last time, but was once again pushed off by her friends.
A young mum and her five-year-old child then appeared, trying to enter the residential building.
As the mum shielded her child from Cowie, he appeared to become embarrassed and apologised to them both while hiding the knife behind his back.
Cowie then left the scene and attended Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he was treated for a stab wound to the back.
Upon being arrested by police four days later, Cowie told officers: “I’m not normally like this, but she makes me crazy”.
‘He was in an agitated state’
Appearing in the dock, Cowie pled guilty to one charge of assault and a second charge of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He also admitted to an additional charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly brandishing a knife.
Cowie’s defence solicitor Paul Barnett described his client’s actions as an “unpleasant incident” that “seems to be entirely out of character for Mr Cowie”.
Mr Barnett added: “These offences committed by Mr Cowie resulted from him being the victim of a very serious assault. He was in an agitated state.
“But he regrets what happened, especially the encounter with the members of the public, who Mr Cowie apologised to and hid the knife from.
“He’s also aware his actions would have caused significant distress to his ex-partner and others present”.
Sheriff hands Cowie his punishment
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Cowie that his offences caused him “real concern”.
However, he also said that Cowie had a “limited record” and “no previous convictions for offences involving violence with a weapon”.
As an alternative to jail time, Sheriff Miller handed Cowie a community payback order with supervision for two years.
He also ordered him to take part in a domestic abuse programme.
The sheriff also imposed a four-month restriction of liberty order on Cowie, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, and told him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
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