A 15-year-old male repeatedly stabbed a man at a house party in Leven.
The teenager inflicted the wounds on John McHale after the pair got into an argument.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that the teen – who is now 17, but cannot be named due to his age – had come off second best in an earlier fight with his victim.
Argument escalated
Fiscal depute Ronnie Hay told the court that the accused had been drinking with several people, including Mr McHale who is in his 20s.
The group moved between parties at two addresses in Buckhaven, he said.
“At About 5am an argument ensued between the accused and Mr McHale,” Mr Hay said. “This led to a fight escalating between the accused and Mr McHale in the living room.”
Mr Hay said: “The fight was split up by other persons in the property and the accused was led to the kitchen, whilst Mr McHale was led to the bedroom.
“It was clear that the accused came off worst from that fight, suffering multiple bruising and a cut to the head.”
Knife pick-up
Mr Hay told the court: “Moments after the fight, a witness saw another person put a knife out of the kitchen window, which the accused picked up.
“The accused and Mr McHale continued to shout at each other and both were told to get outside.
“The accused left the property first. Mr McHale went to the communal stair.
“Numerous witnesses saw the accused and Mr McHale engage in a second fight, whereby the accused was seen to punch Mr McHale three times in the left side of his torso.
“It turns out that what looked like punches were in fact three stab wounds inflicted by the accused.”
Soaked in blood
Horrified party-goers noticed Mr McHale’s t-shirt becoming soaked in blood and found he had stab wounds on his back.
One person attempted to staunch the flow of blood by using the victim’s t-shirt and by applying pressure to the wounds.
Mr Hay said that the accused fled the scene, but that a knife containing his DNA was discovered where the pair had been fighting.
Mr McHale was treated in hospital for three wounds, two of which were not considered deep, and discharged himself.
The teenager, from the Leven area, admitted assaulting Mr McHale at an address in Buckhaven by repeatedly striking him with a knife to his severe injury on August 3 2019.
Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist deferred sentence for reports.