Knife attacker jailed for six years after slashing man's throat in Stirling murder bid

A man who slashed his late aunt’s partner’s throat in a murder bid has been jailed for six years.

Michael Douglas, 30, lashed out with the weapon after “a chance meeting” with his victim in Stirling city centre, which was caught on camera, a court heard.

A judge told Douglas at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You are fortunate your victim did not sustain more serious injury.”

Lord Mulholland said the knife attacker could quite easily have been facing a charge of murder following the unprovoked assault.

He told Douglas that he has a “deplorable” criminal record and committed his latest offence after he was freed from prison on licence.

The judge said Douglas would have faced a nine-year jail term for the attack on Haney, but that would be reduced following his guilty plea.

Douglas, a prisoner at Low Moss jail, admitted attempting to murder his victim on August 26 last year at Murray Place, Stirling, by striking him on the neck with a blade to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.

The court heard that his criminal record includes five convictions for offences involving the use of a knife.

Advocate depute Kirsten Cockburn said that Douglas’ aunt had died in July 2024 and that her death was drug related. She said: “At the time of her death, she was in a relationship with the complainer in this case.”

The prosecutor said the victim was sitting in a doorway at Friars Street with others on the evening of August 26 last year when Douglas approached them on a bike.

Douglas asked for a cigarette but the man refused to give him one. Douglas got off the bike and said: “Do you know who I am?”

The two men then walked around the corner and Douglas put up his hood on and pulled on a face mask before quickly slashing the victim on the throat. Footage of the sudden attack was shown to the court.

Douglas fled from the scene on his bike and the cycle was found later that evening by a police dog at a bridge over the River Devon, off the A907 road in Clackmannanshire.

The dog continued to indicate that Douglas was in the vicinity and officers found him under the bridge partially submerged in water. He was removed from the water and arrested.

The court heard that the victim was taken to hospital and the wound to his neck was closed with sutures.

Defence solicitor advocate Gordon Martin KC told the court that Douglas had a close relationship with his aunt and was in custody at the time of her funeral, which he was not allowed to attend.

He said of the incident with her partner: “This appears to have been a chance meeting.”