By Paul Thornton
A BIKER who scarred his best friend for life in a frenzied knife attack has been jailed for over two years.
David Jackson, 43, stabbed and slashed Donald Morrison with a kitchen knife after an all-day drinking session in Edinburgh.
Mr Morrison, who had known the motor cycle enthusiast for over 20 years, was left with life threatening injuries following the assault in and around his own home.
Jackson, who was jailed for three years for another attack 12 years ago, claims his type-two diabetes was to blame for his vicious behaviour despite downing several pints of lager as well as vodka during a drinking binge.
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court Jackson was caged for 28 months after pleading guilty to assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life.
Fiscal depute Siobhan Monks told the court how the two men had met through a biker club which they were both members of and had known each other for over 20 years.
On the day of the attack, September 20 this year, Mr Morrison had invited Jackson and his partner to have a day out in the capital with him and his wife.
They spent the day boozing around the Leith area of the city before returning to Mr Morrison’s Halmyre Street home.
Miss Monks said: “The accused and his girlfriend started bickering about something and the complainer told the accused not to speak to his girlfriend like that.
“The accused responded by seizing hold of Mr Morrison’s head and trying to poke him in the eye. He then began struggling and fighting with Mr Morrison and this moved from the living room to the common close and eventually outside the block of flats.”
But during the arguing, Jackson had grabbed a blade from a knife block in the kitchen of the flat and launched into a vicious rage with the weapon.
Miss Monks said: “The accused produced a knife and repeatedly struck him and stabbed him on his face, head, neck, abdomen and back. The complainer managed to escape into the back garden of the flats and the accused was locked outside the main entrance by a security door.”
During the attack police had received a 999 call and they arrived to see Jackson walking down the street and throwing the knife into a near-by bush.
They arrested, interviewed and charged the vicious thug, who replied: “It’s absolute rubbish.”
Mr Morrison was raced to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where doctors treated what they described as “life threatening injuries” to his head, forehead, back, neck and body.
As well as slashes to his neck and back, a 6cm deep stab wound on his side had penetrated the internal lining of his abdomen.
Incredibly, despite the massive injuries, no vital organs had been damaged by the attack and he was able to return to work in a fortnight, although he has been left scarred for life by the attack.
Shaven-headed Jackson, who wore a Harley Davidson t-shirt in the dock, was locked up and appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in October this year before admitting the attack yesterday.
His solicitor, George More, said that the garden worker has “no real recollection” of the incident. Mr More said this, in part, could be put down to his insulin dependant diabetes from which he had suffered from for 18 years.
He said: “He had obviously drunk too much and had not eaten anything all day.
“He can’t remember the detail but he is horrified at his conduct to a friend.”
Sheriff Lillian Patrick said his previous conviction for a violent attack “made this offence all the more serious”.
She said: “You have pled guilty to s very serious offence and the consequences are tragic. That your friendship is over after an evening of madness.”
Sheriff Patrick sentenced Jackson, from Clackmannan, Clacks, to 28 months in prison, reduced from 42 months because of his early plea.
