A violent thug used his Young Scot card to purchase a 40-centimetre long machete which was used to inflict horrific injuries on a man, a court has heard.
Lee Mullen, 25, produced the national entitlement pass for ID when he bought the weapon hours before using it on Scott Napier at a house in Cullen Drive, Glenrothes, Fife, on July 26 2021.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Mullen’s accomplice Josh King, 18, blamed Mr Napier for breaking into his sister’s house. But judge Lord Tyre heard that Mr Napier did nothing wrong and the attack was unprovoked.
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The court heard how Mullen and King then used the weapon to repeatedly strike Mr Napier on his body leaving him with injuries which doctors concluded were life threatening.
The story emerged after the two men, of Glenrothes, Fife, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to assaulting Mr Napier to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.
Prosecutor William Frain-Bell told Lord Tyre that Mullen purchased the blade from a shop called Aladdins Cave in Leslie, Fife, at about 1.30pm on July 26.
Mr Frain-Bell said: “The accused Lee Mullen was asked to produce a form of identification in order to purchase the machete.
“The accused then produced a Young Scot card which contained his home address and his date of birth. After producing the identification, the accused gave some more personal detail and these were recorded in the shop’s knife register.”
Mr Frain-Bell said a friend of Mullen’s gave him a lift to pick up King and the pair went to Mr Napier’s house in Cullen Drive at about 4pm.
The court heard that the pair knocked loudly on Mr Napier’s door. When Mr Napier answered, King accused him of breaking into his sister’s home.
Mr Frain-Bell said that Mr Napier denied this and he was then “repeatedly struck with force” by the machete. The pair left the scene leaving Mr Napier to shout on neighbours to help him.
The court heard that when police arrived on the scene, they found Mr Napier needing urgent medical treatment. Mr Frain-Bell said that Mr Napier had an injury to his left forearm and that police could see through to his “bone”.
Mr Napier also had a wound just underneath his collarbone and was rushed to hospital where medics treated his injuries.
Mr Frain-Bell said the doctors who treated Mr Napier believed the injuries posed a “danger to his life” - he had an “arterial bleed” which had been caused by being struck by the machete and he also suffered damage to muscles and nerves.
Police later traced the pair and King confessed his role in the assault to the police.
Mr Frain- Bell added: “The accused King was apprehended and he made the following statements ‘It was me. I did it. I f*****g hit Scottie with the machete. He robbed my sister.’”
The court heard that when police told King of what had happened to Mr Napier, the accused replied: “That’s what he gets for robbing my sister. It was me.”
The court heard that Mullen made no comment about his role in the attack to the police.
Lord Tyre deferred sentence for the court to obtain reports. He remanded Mullen in custody at HMP Perth and ordered King to be detained at YOP Polmont in Stirlingshire.
He told the pair’s lawyers that their clients could expect to go to jail for their attacks.
He added: “It’s going to be a custodial sentence. But before I can impose sentence, I will call for reports and I will act in light of what is said in them.
“I shall now adjourn.”
The case will next call at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 14 2022.
