A man who left his victim suffering nightmares after he subjected him to a brutal attack with a broken mug in a murder bid has been jailed for seven years.
Robert Middleton struck his target with the mug and then wounded him with the damaged remains of the object and a bat during the assault at a house in Livingston, West Lothian.
Middleton, 44, was earlier convicted of attempting to murder Edward McMaster, 50, in the attack on May 28 in 2021 at the address at Murieston Drive.
A judge told Middleton at the High Court in Edinburgh: “Custody is the only appropriate disposal, having regard to the serious nature of your offending.”
Middleton’s co-accused, Michelle Devine, 43, of Waverley Crescent, Livingston, who was found guilty of assaulting Mr McMaster to his severe injury and danger of life, but cleared of attempting to murder him, was jailed for four years.
Middleton’s defence counsel Charles Ferguson said the attack occurred after an argument had escalated into violence.
He said that Middleton, a prisoner, now “plans to turn his life around”.
“He has clearly drifted into drugs at a very young age. He is trying to get away from drugs,” he said.
“He is sorry for what he has done and he accepts a custodial sentence is inevitable,” he told the court.
Jonathan Crowe, for Devine, said she has abstained from taking hard drugs since the time of the offence and has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety.
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