Court / Prison warning for man who severed finger with knife
WARNING: this story contains some graphic detail.
A MAN who “took the law into his own hands” and severed another man’s pinkie finger off with a knife has been warned he may face a lengthy custodial sentence.
John Johnson, of East Voe, Scalloway, admitted at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday to carrying out the offence at a home address in the village in early November last year.
It was described in court as an act of “barbarism”.
The court heard that Johnson assaulted his victim to make an example of him amid allegations he had stolen from people.
The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to assaulting the man by placing the blade of a knife in his hand, repeatedly striking the knife with a hammer, thereby severing his finger.
The charge stated this caused severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the complainer was a vulnerable person who was known to Johnson.
The night prior to the incident the two men had socialised and had a drink together, the court heard.
The following day the victim attended another man’s house, and took with him medication that Johnson had left the previous night.
The occupier of the house then phoned Johnson, who promptly attended – with items including a rope noose.
All three men had been drinking, and after a period of time the victim was taken into the kitchen by Johnson.
The court heard that Johnson told his victim he was going to cut off his hand as punishment for failing to pay debts he believed were owed to him.
Mackenzie said Johnson then pulled out a knife from his pocket, which had a blade around 12.5cm in length.
“He then took hold of the complainer’s hand, [and] held it down on the sink,” he said.
“The accused then placed the knife on his left pinkie finger and used a full sized claw hammer to repeatedly strike the knife, severing the finger.”
Afterwards Johnson applied a cloth to stem the flow of blood, the court was told.
During the incident the other man offered no resistance, the court heard – with Mackenzie saying this perhaps highlighted the man’s vulnerable nature.
The occupier of the house then entered the kitchen and saw the severed finger on the kitchen floor.
He put it in the freezer and called the ambulance, with paramedics attending before taking the victim to hospital.
The finger was unable to be reattached, and he needed surgery.
After Johnson was arrested, he told officers his victim “asked me to do it” to make an example of him.
He later made a full confession and claimed that the victim had been taking and stealing from people for years.
The court was told that Johnson wanted to take the “law into his own hands”.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said he wished to reserve mitigation until a criminal social work enquiry report was made available to the court.
However Sheriff Ian Cruickshank noted that it was an assault of an “incredibly serious nature”.
He added that he has seldom come across a case like it in sheriff courts.
The case was adjourned until 6 September.
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