A 21-year-old man with a history of violence has been convicted of disfiguring a Buchan trawlerman with his own kitchen knife.
The trial at Peterhead Sheriff Court of Thomas Chesterton and co-accused Aaron Rennie – who was acquitted of all charges – drew to a close yesterday after four days of evidence.
The pair were charged with brandishing knives at and assaulting Douglas McCulloch to his severe injury and disfigurement at the fisherman’s Buchan Road home in Fraserburgh.
The June 4 attack, which the court heard was revenge for another incident which left Chesterton with a broken tooth, left Mr McCulloch requiring surgery.
Chesterton said: “I can only tell the truth from my own eyes – it wasn’t Aaron. It seems I went in for a complete vicious attack. I know how it looks. It was me – I want to take the consequences.”
Chesterton tried to take full responsibility for the assault and plead guilty before the trial began but the Crown refused to accept his plea and pressed for a conviction of both the 21-year-old and Rennie, 27, who was in the room during the attack.
But the jurors were not convinced beyond reasonable doubt of Rennie’s involvement, and returned a majority verdict of not proven.
Yesterday Sheriff Andrew Miller told Chesterton: “The jury have convicted you of this charge and in light of your age at the date of the offence I’m going to adjourn for sentence and call for a report into your personal circumstances.”
Chesterton was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Tuesday, November 4.
Chesterton, who was found guilty by majority verdict, has a long history of violence.
In December last year, he threatened to shoot police officers during a fracas at Peterhead Community Hospital. During the incident he described himself as a gangster and Peterhead’s “main man”.
He was ordered to do 45 hours of unpaid work as part of a three-month community service order.
In 2012, Chesterton – then 19 – was locked up for attacking a man with a pool cue at Aberdeen’s Regent Court.
His victim was left with red welts on his back and shoulders as a result of the attack. Chesterton was sentenced to four months’ detention.
A year earlier, he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted breaking a curfew order and attacking two men at the city’s Promenade Court.
