A knife attack was prompted by two friends falling out and one not talking to the other, a court heard yesterday.
It followed with 24-year-old Ashley Watson going round to George Costa’s house in January to slash his tyres.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard he was challenged by Mr Costa who had seen Watson leave his garden late at night.
Watson, described as an Inverness prisoner, demanded to know why Mr Costa, who is in his early 50s, had stopped talking to him.
Watson then attacked his former pal while holding a knife.
Last month, Watson admitted assaulting Mr Costa in Rosehaugh Road on January 9 by repeatedly striking at him with a knife, gouging at one of his eyes and repeteadly striking him all to his injury.
He also pleaded guilty to breaching his bail curfew by carrying out the attack when he should have been observing the court restriction.
Sentence had been deferred by Sheriff Margaret Neilson for a background report and yesterday she jailed Watson for 20 months.
It was backdated to January 10 when he was first remanded in custody.
The court heard that Watson had a record for violence, including a previous conviction for possessing a knife.
At the earlier hearing, fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court that Watson was angered at Mr Costa and asked him: “Why do you not speak to me any more?”
Mr Urquhart added: “Mr Costa said he didn’t walk to talk to him and to go away.”
Watson approached Mr Costa and a struggle ensued. The victim needed minor hospital treatment to a defensive injury to his hand.
Mr Urqhart said it was only when Mr Costa’s 22-year-old son intervened that the attack was stopped.
Sheriff Neilson told defence solicitor Marc Dickson: “It is possibly a matter of luck that Mr Costa didn’t need more treatment.”
Mr Dickson said his client was struggling with his mother having been diagnosed with an illness and had turned to drink and drugs, adding: “He cannot recall with clarity what took place.”
