A man has been jailed after he stabbed another man in an apparent revenge attack.
Liam Forsyth lashed out with a kitchen knife in the belief that Jamie Stephen had been part of the group that had beaten him unconscious in Elgin the week before.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Forsyth advanced towards his victim with knives in both hands, making “slashing motions”.
He then plunged the six-inch blade into Mr Stephen’s back and hit his lung.
The victim staggered away, telling friends he was “going to die”.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov yesterday told Forsyth that only “good fortune” had spared Mr Stephen’s life and she jailed him for two years.
The incident took place at around 10pm on September 13 this year, outside Forsyth’s home on Lesmurdie Road.
The court heard the 23-year-old had been assaulted and “left unconscious in the street” the weekend before, and suspected Mr Stephen was involved.
Mr Stephen denied any part in it, and visited Forsyth’s home with friends to straighten things out.
But fiscal Kevin Corrins said Forsyth was wielding a kitchen knife when the group arrived, and that he and the victim began arguing after drinking while watching football.
Mr Corrins added: “Other witnesses were at the front door of the property having a cigarette, when they noticed the accused walking from the kitchen to the living room with two knives.
“They both had six inch blades, and the witnesses became unsettled and moved away onto the road.”
Forsyth then “pointed both knives” at Mr Stephen after they also left the property.
Mr Corrins added: “He walked towards the complainer shouting and making slashing motions towards him.
“One of those connected, and Mr Stephen was seen staggering away using the phrase ‘I am going to die’.”
Forsyth then ran out into Lesmurdie Road, and was hit by a passing car.
The collision was at “slow speed”, but both men were taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital.
Doctors admitted Mr Stephen to a high dependency unit after discovering the stab wound had caused him to suffer a collapsed lung.
Medics had to drain 500ml of blood from his chest, and he remained in hospital for five days afterwards.
Forsyth was initially accused of attempted murder, but later admitted a reduced charge of assaulting Mr Stephen by repeatedly striking him on the body, and striking him on the body with a knife “to his severe injury and danger to his life”.
His lawyer, Iain Jane, said Forsyth’s troubles stemmed from a traumatic past which involved discovering his 22-year-old brother Neil dead in 2009.
He said his client had managed to turn his life around last year – but “went off the rails” in the months before the stabbing following a string of tragedies.
Mr Jane said: “His best friend died in a car crash on New Year’s Day, and my client ended up losing his job after going on a bender after that.
“His partner was pregnant with their third child, but the baby girl was born prematurely in February and only lived for 45 minutes.
“He was on a one-man path of self-destruction, which resulted in his partner leaving him at the start of September.
“He had taken valium and alcohol on the night in question, and can’t remember anything that happened.
“Mr Stephen’s injury could have been fatally dangerous, but there was no actual danger to life because of how quickly ambulances arrived.”
Sheriff Pasportnikov backdated Forsyth’s two-year prison term to September 15, when he was first remanded.
She added: “It was only through good fortune that there was no actual loss of life here, and arming yourself with a weapon is asking for trouble.”
