News / Knife attacker assessed as low risk
A LERWICK man who held a woman at knifepoint for more than three hours while he threatened to rape and kill her escaped a jail sentence on Wednesday after social workers described him as “a low risk”.
Last month 41 year old Daniel Moore, of 24 Hoofields, pled guilty to the drunken assault on 20 February this year, which left the woman in a state of terror.
Defence agent Tommy Allan had suggested Moore had been previously diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and as well as being drunk he had stopped taking his medication at the time of the assault.
However a psychiatric report delivered to Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday showed the mental disorder had not been confirmed and no psychological explanation could be given for the attack, which took place at the woman’s Lerwick home.
Mr Allan continued that Moore’s victim knew him well enough to know that he was unlikely to follow through with his threat to kill her by 11pm on the night in question.
He said: “I don’t seek to minimise the terror she must have felt that night…but she didn’t think he was going to do anything else. She had some understanding of the fact that this was erratic behaviour on his part, but not such that she was in fear of her life.”
Sheriff Graeme Napier noted that the social work report into Moore assessed him as having a low risk of reoffending. “I am reasonably reassured he is not a genuine danger to the public,” he said.
However he expressed concern that the accused failed to register the impact his actions would have on the victim, including running the blade of a six inch kitchen knife down the length of her body and cutting the buttons off the pyjamas she was wearing.
He also suggested Moore was something of “a fantasist”, describing himself as a former member of the parachute regiment when he had only had some experience of parachutes with the Territorial Army.
The sheriff told Moore that he had difficulty reconciling his need to send out a clear message about the consequences of such behaviour and the need to recognise the particular circumstances of this incident.
Placing him under a supervision order for 18 months and ordering him to carry out 140 hours of community work over the next nine months, Sheriff Napier said: “This was a horrendous offence. My first inclination was simply to send you to custody.”
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 600 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.
Already a supporter? Sign in to hide this message.
