Ayrshire Man Convicted of Knife Attack
A man with a lengthy criminal record for violence has been convicted of attacking an Edinburgh lawyer with a knife in broad daylight.
Paul Wright slashed the 48-year-old professional on the face in a bid to rob him of his wallet.
A jury at the High Court in Livingston took less than an hour to return a majority verdict finding Wright, 46, guilty as charged.
The career criminal from Stewarton in East Ayrshire had denied presenting a knife at leading solicitor Charles McGregor outside his law office in Albany Street, Edinburgh, on April 2 this year.
The jury heard evidence that Wright demanded that Mr McGregor hand over his wallet.
In the struggle which followed, Wright cut the lawyer on the cheek with the blade, knocking his spectacles off. Mr McGregor and a female solicitor from his office followed Wright for around 20 minutes before losing him in a city centre lane.
During the pursuit they challenged him on a bus, allowing police to later recover CCTV footage which led to the accused being traced and charged.
Moving for sentence, advocate depute Keith Stewart QC revealed that Wright had already served numerous prison sentences for violence and robbery.
He said the second page of previous convictions showed that Wright had been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being convicted of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
In 2000 he was convicted at the High Court in Kilmarnock of assault to injury with intent to rob for shich he was sentenced to seven years in jail.
In August 2006 he was convicted again of assault to injury and breach of the peace at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
The judge highlighted that Wright had also been handed a three year sentence for robbery at Luton Crown Court in 1998.
Solicitor advocate John Keenan, defending, said his client had been on a methadone programme which had stopped a few months before being remanded in custody for the present offence.
He said Wright still received fortnightly injections to treat his schizophrenia.
Judge John Beckett called for criminal justice background reports and told Wright he was considering an extended sentence, which will keep the accused under supervision after his release from prison.
He said he would pass sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh on 3 November 2015 at 9.30am.
Judge Beckett told Wright: "You've been convicted of a serious enough crime in itself, but in the light of your dreadful criminal record which contains a number of convictions for similar crimes it makes it more serious and complex.
"I have in mind to impose an extended sentence, but to do that I must order background reports first." The judge explained to the jury that extended sentences meant offenders were subject to strict licensing conditionsa after release.
"He added: "That's to offer extra protection to the public in the case of violent crimes committed by repeat offenders."