A farmer has been jailed after being found guilty of ramming a forklift into a former school friend’s van and then slashing his neck with a blade.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Stuart Allan, 31, acted like a “drug-crazed hitman” when he ploughed the forklift’s spikes through the windscreen of Gary Stuart’s van before cutting his throat.
Allan’s victim was left so terrified by the assault on farmland in Alford that he fabricated a story to explain his injuries to family and friends.
Mr Stuart said Allan, a former school friend, was driving a grey Manitou low loader laden with bails when he met his own VW Caddy van on the road near their neighbouring family farms.
Mr Stuart said he thinks between four and six tines punctured the windscreen and he jumped out of the van.
He said the pair then fought in the road before Allan landed a “big smack” which left him “stunned”, then swung a knife twice making contact with his neck.
He claims Allan told him: “You are lucky I stopped there, I was going to slit your throat, pick up your vehicle and dump it in the River Don.
“If you tell anybody about this I will come after you and come after your family.”
Jury delivers guilty verdict
He was also found guilty by a majority of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards him and guilty by a unanimous verdict of making threatening gestures to Ian Stuart, his uncle.
Allan has now appeared back in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced.
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client was a first offender, accepted the verdict of the jury and was not assessed as a serious risk of causing further harm.
He added: “It’s clear there will be ramifications for his parents who will have to sell their livestock and possibly their farm if he is imprisoned.”
Mr Kelly said the injuries caused to Mr Stuart were “not life-threatening” but accepted his actions with the forklift could have had life-threatening consequences.
The solicitor placed before the court “glowing references” which described Allan as a “caring young man” and asked for a non-custodial sentence to be imposed.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Allan the matter was so serious she had “no option other than to impose a custodial sentence”.
She said: “I do take account of your exemplary character.
“I know by punishing you I’m also punishing some others, but that is a consequence of your behaviour.”
She jailed Allan, of Goryhill, Glenkindie, Alford, for a total of 24 months.
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