Man left victim with brain injury after knife attack

A man who left his victim with a brain injury after a brutal attack has been jailed for more than five years.

Darren McMullen targeted the man at a flat in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire on October 27, 2023.

The 33-year-old armed himself with a blade and repeatedly struck the victim following an apparent row.

The man was left with a bleed on the brain, a skull fracture as well as a number of wounds.

He is also scarred for life as well as suffering from restricted movement in his wrist and hand.

McMullen had been due to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of attempted murder.

But, prosecutors instead accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment as well as to the danger of life.

Judge Kevin McCallum KC was told by McMullen’s lawyer Rhonda Anderson that he had previously been badly affected by an unrelated knife attack on him.

This was said to have impacted how he reacted during the incident with his victim.

But, Judge McCallum stated: “If, as you claim, you yourself have been the victim of a serious knife assault that makes the commission of this crime all the more reprehensible and culpable.”

McMullen – guilty of violence in 2018, but handed an alternative to jail – was this time locked up and sentenced to five years and four months.

He will be supervised for a further 20 months on his release.

The court heard the victim continues to suffer the “significant physical and psychological effects” of his ordeal.

Ms Anderson earlier stated McMullen was “horrified” by what he had done, but was “motivated” to change.

She added he previously worked in construction and that a former employer was willing to take him back on his eventual release.