Paul Devlin / SNS Group via SNS GroupA knife attacker who repeatedly wounded a man in a murder bid is facing a life sentence.
Michael Doherty, 45, stabbed his victim on the head and body in the assault at an address in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, during his latest crime of attempted murder.
Doherty had denied attempting to murder the man on January 25 or 26 in 2024 by repeatedly striking him with the weapon to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life, but was unanimously found guilty of the crime by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh.
After the attack on the man at his home, Doherty asked police: “How is the c*** anyway? Hope he is dead.”
Doherty claimed he was stabbed first but added: “I finished it.” He also said: “I hope he doesn’t die, but if he dies, he dies.”
He said he might have “went a bit OTT”, but claimed: “I don’t give a f***. It was self-defence.”
Following his conviction, the court was told that Doherty has amassed a record of 28 previous convictions, including violent offending, and was previously jailed for eight years for attempted murder.
The court heard he was assessed as posing a high risk of re-offending.
The judge, Norman McFadyen KC, said he was satisfied that a full risk assessment report should be prepared on Doherty, which can lead to the making of an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR).
Under an OLR, the court specifies a minimum term the offender must spend in prison before they become eligible to seek release, but any decision over whether they are ever freed is for the parole authorities.
The judge said the circumstances of Doherty’s latest offence were “very troubling” and the comments he made to police indicated a high level of callousness.
During the trial, Doherty told the court he was using cocaine at the time of the attempted murder and went to the victim’s home in Port Glasgow after being contacted by a woman. He said he was taking drugs with the woman while the man was in bed.
He said the victim got up from bed and was angry. Doherty said: “He told me to GTF out his house.”
He claimed he was attacked, and following a struggle, he got the knife and used it.
The victim said he wanted Doherty to go, and there was pushing before Doherty picked up the knife.
He was asked if he remembered how many times he was stabbed and said: “It was a lot.”
He said that after the attempted murder, he remembered waking up in a hospital intensive care unit.
Doherty’s case was continued to a further hearing at the High Court in Glasgow, and he was remanded in custody.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
