A thug high on a cocktail of booze and street Valium gouged the eye of an innocent man walking his dog.
Brute Jamie Michie attempted to stab Brian Meechan with a knife and repeatedly punched his head and body on May 13 in Craigiebar Drive, Paisley.
Mr Meechan had taken his dog out for an evening stroll when the 36-year-old threatened to stab him in the neck and gouged his eye.
During the unprovoked attack, Michie, described as a prisoner of Low Moss jail, East Dunbartonshire, even shouted, ‘I’m Jamie Michie, I run Glenburn’.
Procurator fiscal depute Michael Cunningham told Paisley Sheriff Court: “Around 7.20pm on May 13, Brian Meechan left his home to walk his dog.
“He walked a short distance and observed the accused – he recognised him from the local area, however, didn’t know his name. Mr Meechan observed the accused walk towards his own house and Meechan returned to the front of his own home.
“He then saw the accused enter the garden of a nearby property in Craigiebar Drive and acting suspiciously. Meechan then saw Michie return to his own address but he then turned and confronted Meechan.
“Mr Meechan retreated into a nearby garden, stating the police were on their way. Michie then stated, ‘Do you know who I am?’
“Meechan continued to retreat down the pathway to distance himself from the accused who continued to approach him throwing unknown small objects at him before punching him to the side of his face, stating, ‘Take that one ya f*****g bam’ and then he shouted, ‘I’m Jamie Michie, I run Glenburn’ as he walked away.”
The court heard how Mr Meechan shouted on his wife to call the cops but, at this time, Michie walked over the road and removed a lock-back pen knife from his sock and returned to confront terrified Meechan once again.
Mr Cunningham added: “Mr Meechan attempted to prevent the accused re-entering the garden area by holding a small metal gate closed but Michie pushed the gate open and began trying to stab Mr Meechan stating, ‘You’re gonna get knifed, you’re getting it in the neck’.
“Michie then continued to punch Meechan’s head and body before gouging his left eye. Michie then left the area.”
The court heard cops attended and saw Meechan with a swollen left eye and blood “running down” his head from a cut.
Officers were then shown CCTV footage that a neighbour had captured on their mobile phone – this allowed police officers to quickly trace Michie in Rockwell Avenue.
Cops noted Michie was “heavily under the influence of alcohol and drugs” and, once searched, they recovered a lock-back knife from the pouch of his hoodie.
Michie was arrested and held in custody to appear at the town’s court – he has been remanded since May 15 for this brutal attack.
Defence agent Eamon McGeehan told the court Michie had “no recollection of events” after taking a cocktail of booze and drugs.
Mr McGeehan explained: “He went to a friend’s house to watch the football and they were drinking alcohol. His friend and him have street Valium and he has no recollection of events, and the next recollection he has is coming to at the police station.
“He is ashamed of himself. He does have a record but that record usually involves people he associates with – not with unknown people walking their dog.
“He expresses his remorse, he is ashamed and, if he could, he would apologise to all parties. He knows there’s only one sentence here.”
Sheriff Smith jailed Michie for 42 months, reducing this to 28 months to reflect his early plea. The sentence will be backdated to Michie’s date of remand on May 15.
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