Thug who knifed a man in Paisley house jailed

A thug who brutally knifed a man nine times was jailed for six years. The High Court in Glasgow heard that Sean Donnelly, 25, of Wellmeadow Street, Paisley, assaulted victim Shaun McInnes at a house in Dalskeith Crescent, on April 20, last year, and then chased him outside with a knife.

The attack was sparked by Mr McInnes trying to intervene in a row between Donnelly and his girlfriend.

Donnelly stuck Mr McInnes over the head with a bottle, punched and kicked him and then pulled out a knife and stabbed him repeatedly.

Judge Lord Mulholland told Donnelly: “You pursued your victim and then attacked him. He could have died as a result of your actions.”

Lord Mulholland said that if it had not been for Donnelly's early guilty plea he would have jailed him for eight years.

Donnelly pled guilty to assaulting Mr McInnes to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of life.

His co-accused first offender Nicholas Cameron, 23, from Paisley, admitted a much-reduced charge of striking Mr McInnes on the head.

He was ordered to perform 200 hours unpaid work in the community and placed under supervision for 18 months.

The court heard Mr McInnes had ended up at a house party in the Dalskeith Crescent, Paisley, attended by both accused.

The atmosphere at the house was initially described as “fine”.

But, a woman partygoer later felt “something was going to happen”.

Donnelly and his girlfriend had a row and Mr McInnes told Donnelly to “cut it out”.

Prosecutor Blair Speed said: “Sean Donnelly took exception to this.”

The men started fighting with Mr McInnes ending up on the floor. Cameron then joined the attack by punching the victim and smacking him with a wine bottle.

Donnelly went to get a knife as Mr McInnes raced out the house.

But, Donnelly caught up with the victim in the street.

Mr Speed: “He then chased Mr McInnes 10 times around a parked car.”

Mr McInnes pleaded with Donnelly to put the blade down, but he ignored him.

The victim was then kicked to the ground by two unknown men.

Mr Speed added: “Donnelly then knelt down and repeatedly stabbed him.”

Donnelly fled the scene and passing bin men stopped to help a blood-soaked Mr McInnes.

The thug later returned to the house and was heard boasting: “Aye, we got him.”

The court heard Mr McInnes suffered a collapsed lung.

Donnelly and Cameron later handed themselves into police.

Donnelly's DNA was on the victim's jumper.

Defence QC Tony Graham representing Donnelly said: “He realises this sort of behaviour is entirely unacceptable and he knows he requires to be punished.”

Counsel Louise Arrol, representing Cameron, said: “He is assessed as at minimum risk of re-offending. I would ask the court not to jail him, but give him a community-based alternative to prison.''