Saltcoats man jailed after admitting attempted murder
A chef who tried to kill a woman by stabbing her in the back has been jailed for five years and three months.
At the High Court in Glasgow 39 year-old Stephen Mann of admitted attempting to murder Annette Campbell in Saltcoats on July 14.
He also pleaded guilty to having a knife in a public place.
Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, told the court that earlier when Mann saw Ms Campbell in the Albion Bar he told her 'You're getting it', and added: 'You're dead.'
Minutes later as she stood outside the bar chatting the accused walked up and stabbed her in the back.
Mann claimed to police that he carried this attack out because he believed Ms Campbell was responsible for slashing his nice. He told them: "nobody slashes my niece and gets away with it."
The court heard that Mann's niece was slashed at a party on April 14, 2014, but Ms Campbell denies any responsibility for this.
The doctor who treated Ms Campbell described her injury as non-life-threatening, but he was of the opinion if the stab wound had penetrated deeper her heart could have been pierced.