A man who armed himself with a knife and stabbed another man outside a Perth shop in broad daylight has been jailed for 16 months.
The black-handled weapon, used in the attack, had a 9.5-centimetre long blade, Perth Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday.
Twenty-seven-year-old Nicol Gatt, from Kinross, had followed the victim because he “thought something was going on between him and his former partner”.
Sheriff William Wood told the accused: “In all the circumstances, there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
The blood-covered blade was recovered by police who were flagged down after a member of the public shouted there was “someone getting stabbed”.
Steven Holden suffered a 1.5-centimetre injury to his upper left thigh.
He was taken by ambulance to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital where the wound was stitched and dressed.
His attacker, who has previous convictions for crimes of violence, admitted assaulting Mr Holden in Perth’s Balhousie Street on July 19, 2020, by pushing him against a wall, pulling him to the ground, repeatedly punching him to the head and striking him on the body with the knife, to his injury.
Depute fiscal Gail Russell told the court previously that the two men “did not get along” as Mr Holden was friends with the accused’s ex-partner.
Mr Holden had left the female’s home in Florence Place “after spending some time there” and was heading home along Balhousie Street about 10.25am.
“The street was busy with members of the public,” she explained.
Gatt grabbed the man and pushed him against a wall before dragging him to the ground and repeatedly punching him.
The attack was witnessed by a passer-by who tried to separate them.
“During the assault, Mr Holden felt a sharp pain to his leg,” stated the fiscal.
Police, who had been passing on mobile patrol, restrained Gatt and put him in handcuffs.
CCTV was reviewed from the Premier shop and Gatt was seen with a knife in his right hand and “making a striking motion” to Mr Holden’s left thigh.
Solicitor Billy Somerville said his client had never served a custodial sentence before and asked that the maximum hours of unpaid work, along with a Restriction of Liberty Order, be imposed as a “direct alternative to custody”.
The lawyer explained that his client had attempted to take his own life around the time of the incident.
“His mental health had deteriorated and he wasn’t really in a normal state of mind,” stated Mr Somerville.
A letter from the pastor at the Perth City Tabernacle of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was submitted on the accused’s behalf, offering to give him “counsel”.
But noting his previous convictions and the “concerning” nature of the offence, Sheriff Wood jailed him.
The sentence was backdated to April 8, when Gatt was first remanded.
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