Ross-shire woman jailed at Inverness Sheriff Court after slashing dad with kitchen knife while arguing with boyfriend at Balmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh
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A WOMAN who threatened to stab her boyfriend during a Ross-shire flare-up but instead slashed her father with a kitchen knife has been jailed for a year.
Nicola MacNeil (23) struck her father, James, on the arm with knife when he tried to intervene after her boyfriend made a comment about her mother who had recently taken her own life.
Mr MacNeil was left trying to staunch the blood with a towel and had to have 11 stitches inserted, leaving a four-inch scar.
Nicola MacNeil admitted behaving in a threatening manner to her Inverness boyfriend, Sean MacMillan, by brandishing a knife at him and making the threatening remark. She also admitted assaulting her father to his injury and permanent disfigurement as well as a bail breach by later meeting Mr MacMillan.
The incident happened on February 10 at The Stables in Balmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh.
All three had been watching a football match and drinking when there was an argument between Nicola MacNeil and Mr MacMillan, who had lost his job.
At an earlier hearing fiscal depute, David Morton, said: “Mr MacMillan stated that he had had enough and was returning to his home in Inverness. “He went to pack his things and the accused and her father also went there where the argument re-ensued.
“During it, Mr MacMillan made the remark: ‘No wonder your mother didn’t love you’. The upset enraged the accused as her mother had recently committed suicide. She took a large knife from a knife block and began making slashing and jabbing motions towards Mr MacMillan.
“She then made the comment: ‘ How dare you bring my f****** mother into this, you are getting stabbed.”
Mr Morton said her father tried to stop her and on so doing received a slash to the inside of his left forearm which bled heavily.
Ambulance and police were called and MacNeil said: “It was me who stabbed my dad.”
She was released on bail after a court appearance on February 12 but met her boyfriend in the early hours of July 22 at Inshes Retail Park in Inverness.
On Wednesday the court heard she had been remanded since then.
Solicitor Rory Gowans asked the court to take account of the the time she had spent in jail.
“She had suffered a significant bereavement and was self-medicating,” he said, adding that her boyfriend’s comment was the trigger for her reaction.
“She is aware it’s only by good fortune she is not here on more serious charges.”
