A knife thug almost killed an old schoolmate when he stabbed him in the heart.
Ciaran Sharkey tried to murder Ben Docherty during the brutal onslaught on a Rutherglen Street, he only survived thanks to the skills of medics who carried out life saving surgery.
Jailing the 24-year-old for six years today at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lady Drummond said: "Had he not been taken to hospital so quickly and had three senior registrars not been present to perform a life saving operation it is unlikely he would have survived."
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Sharkey admitted trying to murder Mr Docherty on Kingsacre Road in February last year by repeatedly stabbing him on the body.
The victim had returned home from work when his attacker lashed out at him after a street confrontation. The bleeding victim told his partner: "He just f****** stabbed me. I need to go to hospital."
A neighbour Gary Morrison drove the injured man to hospital where three senior surgeons were available and he underwent emergency surgery. A puncture wound to his heart was repaired. He had also suffered stab wounds to his left hand and chest area.
Sharkey, a prisoner in Glasgow's Barlinnie jail, later handed himself in to police.
The court heard that he had been at school with his victim and both went on to work for the same firm.
Defence solicitor advocate James Keegan KC said Sharkey had been in the area of the attack after his girlfriend was offered a tenancy and he went to look at the place.
He said Sharkey saw the victim who he had "an issue" with and added: "They didn't like each other, I think that's the bottom line."
Mr Keegan said insults were exchanged and they began grappling after the chance encounter, but Sharkey then took an electrician's knife from his vehicle.
The defence lawyer said: "He decided to resort to the use of a weapon, with terrible consequences."
Mr Keegan said that Sharkey had acknowledged in his own words that what he did was "unacceptable".
Lady Drummond said: "You have written a letter to the court, which I have read, expressing your sorrow and remorse for your actions."
The judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that she took into account guidelines for sentencing young people and required to consider his age and maturity at the time of the offence which was committed when he was 23.
She said she would have selected a higher starting point for the sentence to be imposed had he been more mature.
Lady Drummond ordered that Sharkey should be kept under supervision for a further three year period and told him if he breached licence conditions during that period he could be returned to prison.
Sharkey earlier admitted assaulting and attempting to murder Ben Docherty on February 23 last year at Kingsacre Road, Rutherglen, in South Lanarkshire, by repeatedly stabbing him on the body with a knife to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of his life.
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