Man jailed for murder bid on neighbour
A man who tried to kill his new neighbour after moaning his music was too loud has been locked up for eight years.
A man who tried to kill his new neighbour after moaning his music was too loud has been locked up for eight years.
Thomas McIntyre slit the throat of James Gunn during the attack on his doorstep in October 2014.
Raging McIntyre claimed James's housewarming was so noisy it was keeping his young child awake.
The blood soaked bank worker luckily survived the unprovoked slashing at his new flat in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.
McIntyre returned to the High Court in Glasgow having been convicted of attempted murder.
He had denied the claims insisting he was in bed at the time of the attack.
However, a jury found him guilty after five people recognised him as the culprit.
Sentencing, Lord Matthews told McIntyre: “I have rarely heard evidence that was so overwhelming.”
The attack happened after James (27) had invited friends to a housewarming at his flat in Mill Grove, Hamilton.
He had moved to the property just a number of weeks earlier.
In the early hours of October 4 2014, there was a knock at the door and James answered.
The victim told the court: “It was the neighbour directly above us – Thomas McIntyre.
“He said to me 'the music is too loud...I have been banging down to tell you to shut up'.”
Restaurant worker Mcintyre also fumed he had a “wee girl up the stairs”.
James recalled apologising insisting he had not heard McIntyre - and it was then the thug suddenly brought out a blade.
Terrified James – who gave evidence from behind screens – revealed: “He swung the knife and I stepped back when I saw it coming towards me.
“It got me on the neck...from the jugular down the jawline.”
The victim managed to slam the door shut, but then slumped into the arms of a friend.
He said: “I saw that there was a lot of blood, so I screamed for help. My friend wrapped a shirt around my neck to stop the bleeding.”
James was rushed to hospital and required a number of stitches including one to repair an artery.
McIntyre, also of Hamilton, gave evidence during the trial, but denied being the attacker.
He claimed: “I am being accused of something that I did not do and I do not know why.”
McIntyre said that earlier that evening he had been at the upstairs flat where his apparently former lover and child lived.
However, he insisted at the time of the slashing he was tucked up in bed at his mother's home.
But, the court heard that a string of witnesses – including James - had saw and heard him that night.
Prosecutor Richard Goddard put to McIntyre: “So, all have mistakenly identified you. What are the chances of that?”
McIntyre: “Don't know, I am not a gambling man.”
He claimed “lots of people” have a voice that is a “dead ringer” for his.
McIntyre went on to state that he would never moan about his child being kept awake as she could “ sleep in a nightclub”.
Mr Goddard branded his evidence “desperate”.