Greenock dad jailed for stabbing son in stomach

A dad’s been jailed for six years and four months for stabbing his son in the stomach in a row over a damaged book.

49 year-old Gary Roe from Greenock, admitted assaulting 20-year-old Declan Roe to the danger of his life.

He was originally charged with attempting to murder Declan, but the Crown accepted his plea of guilty to the lesser charge.

But, yesterday the High Court in Glasgow heard that Roe told social workers compiling a background report on him it was an accident.

Judge Lady Rae told Roe: “Your son could have died because of what you did. You pleaded guilty to a very serious charge of assaulting your son to the danger of his life.

“Despite your plea, you now claim it was an accident. I detect no expression of remorse for this criminal act.”

She told Roe, who has three previous convictions for violence and two for possessing weapons, that, but for his early plea of guilty, she would have jailed him for seven years.

Roe stabbed his son once after a blazing row at his home in Regent Street, Greenock, on January 25. He then cleaned the knife of blood and put it back in the kitchen.

Meanwhile his son, who was bleeding from his stomach, staggering out into the street.

Declan had gone to the house to confront his father about ripping up the book.

Prosecutor Bobby Frazer said: “Declan had given a book to his 14-year-old sister as a gift which had been damaged by the accused..

“As a result of this Gary Roe and his son were engaged in a heated argument.”

The court heard that Declan then left the house, before returning and kicking in the front door of his dad's flat.

Roe grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his son once in the abdomen with it.

When police officers arrived on the scene Declan was in the street clutching a towel to his stomach to stem the bleeding. There was a blood trail leading up to the flat.”

Declan , referring to his injury, told police officers: “My dad done it in his house.”

Roe said that Declan had returned to the flat and kicked the door in and added: “He assaulted me in my house.”

Declan has been left with a scar to his abdomen. The knife wound cut through his liver.

Mr Frazer added: “If left untreated there was a potential danger to life.”

Defence counsel John McElroy said: “The best that can be said is that he present a medium risk of re-offending and he pleaded guilty.”

Roe showed no emotion as he was led away to begin his sentence.