Attacker who told police he hoped victim was dead after murder bid jailed

A knife attacker who repeatedly stabbed a man in the victim’s own home during a murder bid has been jailed for 11 years.

Michael Doherty, 45, stabbed his victim on the head and body in the assault at an address in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde.

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.

A judge told Doherty at the High Court in Edinburgh: “This was a savage assault with a knife, involving multiple stab wounds.”

Judge Norman McFadyen KC said Doherty had shown “significant callousness” in the aftermath of the attack.

The judge told him: “You have a long criminal record, including a number of convictions for serious violence when you were a younger man.”

The court heard that Doherty was previously jailed for eight years for an earlier attempted murder.

The judge ordered that Doherty should be supervised and monitored in the community for a further three years after his latest jail term.

He was told that he will be on licence while under supervision and can be returned to prison if he breaches conditions.

The judge made a non harassment order prohibiting Doherty from approaching or contacting the victim for an indefinite period and warned that if it was breached, it could result in arrest and imprisonment.

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.