A man armed with a kitchen knife tried to plunge the blade into the stomach of a “bully” who had just smashed the windows of his car, a court has been told.
Lewis Yeats ran and lunged toward his victim outside North Sea Court in the Seaton area of Aberdeen.
The man managed to dodge him, but Yeats, 22, gave chase, swinging the blade and at one point slicing his jacket.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard differing accounts of the circumstances around the attack, with Sheriff Andrew Miller eventually accepting Yeats’ position – that his victim had just smashed the windows of his car.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told the said the complainer knew Yeats and had considered them to be on “friendly terms”.
Around 3pm on June 2 2021 the man and his friend were outside North Sea Court when the friend suddenly shouted “watch out”.
Ms Simpson said: “The complainer saw the accused running towards him holding a large black-handled kitchen knife.
“The accused ran towards him and lunged at him, trying to stick the knife into his stomach.”
‘There were attempts to enforce these debts’
The man managed to dodge the lunge and tried to run away.
Ms Simpson said: “The accused ran after him and continued to make stabbing motions.
“The complainer felt the knife make contact with his jacket as though trying to stab him in the back.”
At one point, the knife punctured the jacket, leaving the man with a small cut to his back.
The man then “tried to punch the accused in self-defence” and there was a “scuffle” between the pair before Yeats made off.
Police traced him nearby and he was arrested.
The knife was recovered by an off-duty police officer who found it lying in the road between Merkland Lane and Pittodrie Street.
Yeats, of Blairdaff, pled guilty to assault to injury and possession of a knife.
Sheriff Miller said Yeats’ account of the circumstances given in a court-ordered social work report differed from the Crown’s narrative.
Yeats said in the report there was a history between him and the complainer, who had been “bullying and intimidating” and had smashed the windows of his car immediately prior to the incident.
Defence agent Graham Morrison told the court the complainer in the case had a criminal record consisting of “18 pages”.
‘Could have had absolutely catastrophic results’
He went on: “The dispute that day was about the damage to the car belonging to Mr Yeats.”
Mr Morrison explained Yeats had had an issue with class A drugs and had run up associated debts.
He said: “There were attempts to enforce these debts.
“What he describes as bullying could be described as enforcement as well.”
The solicitor added Yeats had not intended to use the knife “thought it would be enough to frighten them away”.
Sheriff Miller said Yeats’ version of the circumstances of the offence was “more plausible”.
However, he added: “That could have had absolutely catastrophic results for you as well as for this other man, whatever the history between the two of you.”
He acknowledged Yeats was “dealing with a number of personal issues at the time” and is still only 22 years old.
The sheriff added: “I think the first focus should be on attempting to help you in dealing with the personal issues as well as imposing a suitable level of punishment.”
He handed Yeats a 12-month supervision order and a six-month curfew.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen and the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group.
