Machete attacker who tried to kill man and left another scarred for life in Inverness jailed

A machete attacker who tried to kill a man and left another scarred for life in separate assaults has been jailed for 11 and a half years.

Malcolm Macleod, 31, carried out the attacks armed with weapons in Inverness just months apart last year.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh warned that anyone using such a weapon must expect to receive a significant sentence.

Lord Young told Macleod: “You accepted to the author of the criminal justice social work report that you have problems with aggression and anger, especially after using alcohol and cannabis.”

He said he saw an image showing a mother and her young children nearby when the murder bid was under way and added: “This must have been a terrifying event, both for your victim and those passersby.”

The judge said: “I agree with the assessment in the criminal justice social work report that you will continue to pose a high risk of causing harm to others.”

Lord Young ordered that Macleod, who has five previous convictions for assault, should be subject to strict supervision in the community for a further period of two years and six months, during which he will be on licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches the conditions.

Macleod, a prisoner at Inverness, earlier admitted attempting to murder a man on Gilbert Street in the Highland city on January 15 last year.

During the assault he repeatedly hit the victim on the head and body with a machete, including when he was on the ground, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.

He also admitted assaulting another man at an address in Dunabban Road, in Inverness, on May 17 last year by striking him on the face with a machete to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

The court earlier heard that on the day of the attempted murder, the victim was at his home address in Gilbert Street with his partner when he heard shouting come from the street.

He left the house and found Macleod outside with his face covered. The accused, who was armed with a machete with a blade that was 30 to 40 cm long, challenged him to a fight.

Macleod advanced towards the man, but his face covering fell and the victim recognised him. For reasons unknown to the victim, Macleod hit him on the top of the head with the machete.

The victim began to bleed and grabbed a sweeping brush but was pushed and fell to the ground. Macleod struck him on the leg and forehead with the weapon and repeatedly swung at him again.

The man got to his feet and his attacker chased him and struck him on the head and shoulder with the machete before running off. The victim was taken to hospital and found to have sustained three significant head wounds as well as other injuries. He underwent surgery for one wound which penetrated the skull.

The second attack occurred after Macleod got into an argument with another man and asked him for £20, which was rejected. He then asked Mr MacLeod what was in a bag he had and was told it was clothes.

But Macleod tried to grab the bag from him and they got into a struggle over it. Macleod was heard to say that the victim had ten seconds to open the bag or he was going to hit him with a machete.

The man managed to retain the bag and sat down on a couch, but his attacker approached him, pulled a machete from his waistband and struck him on the left side of the face with the weapon.

The victim was found to have suffered a 10cm full-thickness wound to his face, which was stitched from the inside and outside.

Defence counsel Lorenzo Alonzi said Macleod had “an unhappy background” but has shown genuine remorse over the offences.