Ross man guilty of stabbing friend
A JURY has found a man guilty of stabbing one of his best friends in the neck to the danger of his life.
The three-day trial of Michael Cope ended at Tain Sheriff Court on Friday with a majority verdict from the jury, which took just over an hour for its deliberations.
After the verdict, depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart said it would be of interest to the jury that it was Cope’s third assault conviction on indictment and his eighth conviction for assault.
Cope (47), described as a prisoner at Inverness, had denied assaulting Brian O’Donnell by striking him with a knife to the face to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life at 30 Kilmuir Place, Invergordon on March 9.
In evidence Mr O’Donnell told the court he had been at the home of a friend, Mary Young, and was upset because it was the first anniversary of the death of his dog. He was having a cuddle and a ‘wee moment’ with his then girlfriend, Leanne Christie, in the kitchen.
Cope came in through the kitchen door off the back garden and told him to ‘get over it’ when Mr O’Donnell told him what he was upset about.
Mr O’Donnell said he reacted by telling Cope to ‘f... off’ then Cope picked up the knife from a draining board and stabbed him in the face.
The trial heard from consultant head and neck surgeon at Raigmore Hospital, Michael Rogers who treated Mr O’Donnell, that the wound was clean and had been caused by a downward thrust which came close to the jugular vein.
He said the knife wound which went into the side of Mr O’Donnell’s neck was “potentially lethal”, and that Mr O’Donnell had an “extremely lucky outcome.”
Cope ran from the scene and was later arrested by police at his home in Cabarfeidh Drive as Mr O’Donnell was treated for his injury by people in the house.
An ambulance was called and he was rushed to Raigmore Hospital.
Cope, giving evidence on his own behalf, admitted he had a short temper. But he said it had all been an accident and Mr O’Donnell and his girlfriend at the time, Leanne Christie were having a heated argument.
He claimed Mr O’Donnell put the knife down on to a draining board and he (Cope) picked it up to put it away.
“I had the knife in my hand. He said it’s f... all to do with you and he just went for me.It was an accident.”
In his final submissions the fiscal said Cope’s evidence never made sense.
“What advantage is there to Mr O’Donnell who described Cope as a friend and like a ‘rock’ when his dog died.”
The fiscal also questioned why Cope never stopped to help O’Donnell after he was injured if it had been an accident.
Graham Mann solicitor for Cope said he accepted he was in some way responsible for what happened to Mr O’Donnell and he didn’t deny leaving the premises.
Mr Rogers, when asked if it could have been accidental by Mr O’Donnell turning into the knife or if it was deliberate, he said both were possible.
Mr Mann said the doctor added there was no sign of significant force because there was no bruising. He also questioned how some of the witnesses, who said they could see from the living room into the kitchen, could do so given the photographs of the house produced in evidence.
Sheriff David Sutherland said he would defer sentence until August 30 for social inquiry reports.
