Man climbed drainpipe to stab victim in his own home days after knife attack on stranger

A man climbed a drainpipe to brutally stab a victim in his own home, while wanted for another knife attack.

Conner McFarlane left the man with a potentially life-threatening injury following the murder bid at the flat in New Stevenston, Lanarkshire, last August 24.

The 22-year-old had, days earlier, carried out a similar assault on a stranger he believed had been texting a woman McFarlane had been seeing.

He admitted the offence at the High Court in Glasgow.

The victim had been at home alone that night when he heard a noise coming from his living room.

Prosecutor Eilidh Robertson said he went on to discover McFarlane and another man inside while the veranda door was ajar.

The advocate depute said: “McFarlane rushed towards him and struck him with a knife.

“They then exited via the veranda window and climbed down the drainpipe.”

The man suffered two stab wounds and a partially collapsed lung, which could have put his life in danger. He was able to leave hospital three days later.

McFarlane had carried out an earlier knife attack on August 18.

That victim had been at a woman’s flat in New Stevenston.

McFarlane later turned up and asked the pair if they had been texting each other while he was in the room.

Ms Robertson said McFarlane’s “demeanour changed”. He went on to knife the man who was sitting on the couch.

The victim initially thought he had been punched before finding his T-shirt blood-soaked.

He had suffered a single stab wound to the back.

McFarlane was eventually arrested on August 25.

He initially made no comment about the attack but then stated to police “it was good you got me” as he was “spiralling”.

McFarlane denied stabbing the victim but then confessed: “Might as well tell you the truth, I thought I was going to get away with it.”

McFarlane admitted to the attempted murder of of the second victim as well as assaulting the other to his severe injury.

He already had a High Court conviction for violence in 2019.

Paul Nelson KC, defending, said: “He could have walked down the street, he could have done a great many things.

“The one thing he did do – it is so odd as to vouch for its veracity – is that picked up the knife, climbed up the drainpipe, got onto the veranda and entered the man’s property.”

Lord Renucci stated he was “concerned” that McFarlane now had two High Court convictions at the age of just 22.

He was remanded in custody as sentencing was adjourned for reports.