News / Four years for knife attack
A KNIFE attacker who burst in on a sleeping man and assaulted him was jailed for four years on Thursday after a judge branded his actions “wholly inexcusable”.
Francis Whyte struck Mark Ward with the weapon during the attack at 106 Nederdale, Lerwick, in Shetland, on 22 June last year.
The 42 year old was originally facing a charge of attempting to murder the victim, but a jury earlier convicted him of a lesser offence of assault to injury.
Lord Burns told Whyte at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had carried out a premeditated attack on the victim and had been assessed as a high risk of re-offending.
The judge ordered that he should be kept under supervision for a further three years.
Lord Burns pointed out that Whyte had also pled guilty to threatening and abusive behaviour towards another man, Jaroslaw Walczuk, by brandishing knives and striking a wall and bed with a knife at Port Arthur, Scalloway, in Shetland, on the same day.
“You compelled him to drive you to Lerwick for the purpose of confronting Mr Ward,” he said, adding it was plainly “a terrifying experience”.
Ward’s fiancee, 41 year old Jacqueline Hunter said she had been in her sitting room when Whyte came in unexpectedly and asked for Ward, who was upstairs asleep.
She dialled 999 before trying to stop him and to pull Whyte off the victim.
She earlier told Whyte’s trial: “I saw the blood and then I saw his hand go down towards Mark’s stomach.”
She said she managed to get the knife and throw it away and police arrived shortly afterwards.
Ward, who is 52, told the court: “I realised someone was on top of me and I managed to get him over.”
Joiner Whyte, described as a prisoner, was living in homeless accommodation on Shetland at the time, the court heard.
His defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said: “It is clear that he is a man who took the law into his own hands.”
But he said Whyte has had a long time to reflect on his behaviour and was “horrified” by it.
He said Whyte had had “an issue” with Ward, but was now remorseful and apologetic over what had taken place.
Dave Finlay
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