Arthur Smith, 40, has been jailed for three years for stabbing his cousin after a dispute over drugs. The attack left the victim with a broken nose, five lost teeth, and 18 stitches in his stab wounds.
Details of the assault
The court heard that Smith and his cousin had been drinking and taking drugs with friends at a flat in Kirkness Street, Airdrie, on December 20 last year. After Smith left to buy drugs, a disagreement arose over the amount he had purchased.
Prosecutor Jack Lindsay said: "At one point Smith left the property to purchase drugs. When he returned there was a dispute about the amount he had bought." Smith then armed himself with a knife from the kitchen and attacked his cousin, striking him repeatedly in the face.
The victim raised his hands to protect himself, and two unknown men also became involved, one striking him with a bottle. The victim, bleeding heavily, alerted a concierge who called the police.
Injuries and investigation
At the hospital, multiple cuts to the victim's face were treated, and wounds on his hands were stitched. He also had two black eyes. Police found a trail of blood leading from the flat, with blood on the walls and a significant amount inside the ground floor property. The victim's knocked-out teeth were discovered on the living room floor, and Smith's DNA was found on a bloodstained knife.
Additional offences
Smith was also sentenced for stealing a car from Progress Drive, Caldercruix, on January 20 this year, and for driving dangerously while three times over the drink limit the following day in Blair Road, Coatbridge. He received an additional six months in jail and a six-year-and-nine-month driving ban.
Mr Lindsay described how Smith took the car from a driveway while the owner was inside his house, having left the engine running. The next day, Smith was seen travelling at high speed, lost control, and hit two parked cars and another vehicle. The driver of the third vehicle avoided injury. Police later found Smith in a wooded area nearby.
Defence lawyer Nicky Matteo said Smith, who has previous convictions, suffers from mental health issues brought on by alcohol and drug abuse. He added: "He was under the influence when he committed these offences. The car theft was opportunistic."
