News / Lerwick man jailed for stabbing dealer
A LERWICK man who stabbed a drug dealer after being sold paracetomol instead of cocaine was jailed for 16 months at Inverness Sheriff Court on Friday.
Ross MacDougall, who was described as a prisoner at Inverness, had previously appeared from custody on Tuesday to admit striking his 26 year old victim with a steak knife to his injury and danger of life in Hilton Crescent, Inverness on October 18 this year.
Sheriff David Sutherland was told the 27 year old was drinking with two other friends at Lauders Bar in Inverness before returning to the house at 27 Hilton Crescent, Inverness where he was staying, where he continued drinking alcohol and also took cocaine.
Procurator fiscal Roderick Urquhart said MacDougall and one of his two friends went to a nearby Scotmid shop to buy more alcohol and met the drug dealer from whom he had arranged by telephone to purchase cocaine.
The dealer, who was drunk, supplied what they thought to be one gram of cocaine with an arrangement to pay later, but when the pair returned home they discovered it was paracetamol.
MacDougall’s friend called the dealer and after an argument they arranged to meet up for a fight.
“MacDougall picked up a knife from the kitchen, saying it was for protection,” the fiscal said.
“The fight took place and MacDougall put (the dealer) to the ground and then was seen…making small stabbing motions with his right hand giving the impression he was stabbing him.”
The fiscal said the victim did not realise he had been stabbed, thinking he had been kicked on the back three times.
“He went home by taxi and went to bed, later discovering a small pool of blood on the bed sheets.
“He was taken to Raigmore Hospital and had wounds to his left cheek, his shoulder blade and chest which caused a collapsed lung.
“A CT scan showed this wound to have just missed main artery and vein coming from the heart to the lungs. The consultant surgeon who treated him described (him) as being ‘very lucky’.”
The victim was transferred to the high dependency unit for observation and was fit to be discharged after two days.
MacDougall was arrested by police on October 20, 2015 and told officers: “I just hope the boy is OK, it’s totally out of character for me.
“I had a lot to drink. There’s things I can’t remember, but I’ve done that; it’s just unbelievable.”
Dave Love
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