A man who was allegedly slashed by his partner with a sharp object gave several different versions of who inflicted the blow.
But Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that at no time did 25 year old warehouse operative James Marshall blame his girlfriend, Tanya Stewart who denies assaulting him to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Mr Marshall was giving evidence in the second day of 23 year old Stewart’s trial. He said he had returned drunk to their Millbank Road home in Dingwall on May 27, 2016 and they had a fight.
But he claimed he left the house uninjured and was attacked by a group of people near their property after he was cheeky to them.
He told the jury he was no stranger to the courts and added: “I have started a fight in the street before after I have been drinking. It happens quite a lot.”
He said it was a knife that caused the injury.
He denied to fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart that he was lying to help Stewart.
Earlier yesterday, 33 year old Joanna Hercher told the court that she was at the house next door when she heard the couple arguing.
“I heard Tanya say ‘I am going to stab you’ and James say: ‘Just do it.’ Then Tanya was standing at the gate. She had blood around her nose and mouth.”
Sgt Karen Macpherson was one of the officers called to the scene and saw bare-chested Marshall near his home stemming the blood with his tee-shirt. She said she asked Marshall what had happened.
“He gave me several versions. The first was it was a Polish male. Next it was a group of Polish men in a vehicle. It is quite often that Polish men get blamed in Dingwall.
“I challenged him on that and he gave me a no comment. He had a puncture wound and lacerations to his right arm as well as the cut on his nose.”
Stewart elected not to give evidence in her defence. Mr Urquhart and defence solicitor Clare Russell then addressed the jury who will retire to consider their verdict this morning after instructions from Sheriff Margaret Neilson.
ends
