Inverness youth knifed two men in the street within minutes

A INVERNESS youth who was freed early from a jail sentence for a serious assault carried out two knife attacks within minutes of each other in one night.

Stephen Stewart (20), also known as Ross, of Rosehaugh Road in the city stormed out of his home after arming himself with the weapon before slashing and stabbing victims in the streets of Inverness.

Stewart (20) admitted carrying out the knife attacks on March 18 this year in the South Kessock area of the city, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh today.

A judge told him: "You have pled guilty to two very serious unprovoked assaults in each case using a knife."

Lord Tyre said he would defer sentence on him for the preparation of a background report, including a risk assessment.

But the judge warned him: "Having regard to the nature of these offences and your past record you can expect to receive a substantial prison sentence."

The court heard that Stewart’s offending went back to when he was 16 and he was sentenced to 40 months detention in 2006 for assault to severe injury and danger of life by a High Court judge.

In 2009 he was detained for three years for a bottle attack resulting in severe injury and permanent disfigurement. He was out on licence from that sentence when he committed the latest attacks.

He admitted assaulting Andrew Sutherland to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement by striking him on the face with a knife at Coronation Park in Inverness and attacking Allan MacMillan to his injury and permanent disfigurement by wounding him on the body at Kessock Avenue.

Advocate depute Jane Farquharson said Stewart’s mother described her son as "in a foul mood" and under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs on the evening of the attacks.

She became aware he had a knife and was threatening to harm himself, but after a few minutes he tucked the knife into the waistband of his trousers and headed out of the house.

Mr Sutherland was walking along the street heading home when he was approached by Stewart. Miss Farquharson said: "The accused was not known to Mr Sutherland, though he recognised him from seeing him in the area."

Stewart pushed his victim in the chest before producing the knife which he used to slash him on the right side of the face.

The prosecutor said: "Immediately having struck Mr Sutherland, the accused showed remorse saying ‘Don’t phone the police, don’t phone the police, don’t grass me up. I’m sorry. I’m sorry’."

Once the victim made it home he contacted the police and asked for an ambulance. He was taken to Raigmore Hospital where nine stitches were used to close the facial wound.

About 10 minutes after the attack Stewart approached Mr MacMillan who was with his girlfriend and her cousin. He was clearly under the influence and unsteady on his feet.

Stewart asked him where he was from and when he replied "Dingwall" he butted him in the face before stabbing him in the stomach.

The advocate depute said: "Mr MacMillan describes feeling a sharp pain but did not realise exactly what had happened."

His group ran off before he realised he had been stabbed and noticed that he was bleeding and his clothing was cut. He was also taken to hospital and kept in overnight for observation.

Miss Farquharson said: "Police realised that they might be dealing with the same individual in respect of both incidents."

They traced the attacker to the house of a girlfriend later that night and found Stewart asleep in bed. During a later interview he denied having assaulted anyone.