An Aberdeen mum says her nine-year-old son came to her rescue as she was attacked by a knife-wielding teenager.
Aurelia Blacklaw, 32, feared for her life when Raygen Merchant, then 16, came into her Garthdee home demanding sex, before she was stabbed in the neck and hand.
He is said to have pushed Ms Blacklaw around the property before insisting she go upstairs with him on November 12, 2013.
However, her son Kyle, jumped onto Merchant’s back, putting him off guard, before running to alert neighbours.
Ms Blacklaw was stabbed in the neck on the staircase of her property when she slipped trying to fight him off.
Kyle’s intervention is said to have given Ms Blacklaw enough time to grab the weapon from Merchant.
Ms Blacklaw added: “I thought I was dead when he stabbed me. I grabbed hold of the knife and he pulled it away cutting all my fingers.”
She suffered permanent damage to her hand following the attack, which has left Kyle with nightmares and afraid to go back home.
The brave youngster said: “It was scary, I didn’t want to let go of him. But if the man tried to hurt my mum again I’d batter him.”
Merchant, 17, is now facing a lengthy jail sentence after he admitted to carrying out the attack at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Ms Blacklaw said: “I’m only here today because of Kyle. I kept shouting at him to go and get help but he refused to leave me.
“Most kids would have panicked and ran but he jumped onto Merchant’s back.”
Prosecutor David Taylor said: “She said it was as if someone had pressed a switch, he (Merchant) was like Jekyll and Hyde.”
The court heard she was left “hysterical” and unable to speak following the attack.
Merchant ran off to his girlfriend’s home after the attack, jumping out a window to evade police officers when they arrived at her door.
He is due to be sentenced at the High CPerth’s High Court on November 11.
