A man who stabbed his neighbour through the heart in a row over noise has been jailed for six years.
Kevin McGrouther, 51, from Kilsyth, was found guilty after trial of attempting to murder a man by stabbing him once in the chest.
The attack took place at 6am on September 18, 2018, at Cedar Road, Cumbernauld.
McGrouther claimed he was acting in self-defence.
At the High Court in Glasgow judge Lady Stacey told first offender McGrouther: “The jury did not accept your position of self-defence.
“What you did was stab a man in the chest with a knife. It is very fortunate that man didn’t die. Stabbing someone in the chest with a knife is a very dangerous thing to do. I have to impose a sentence to protect the public.”
The court heard the victim, who went downstairs to McGrouther’s flat to complain about the noise, was stabbed by McGrouther after he grabbed a knife from his kitchen.
The victim suffered a broken breastbone, a collapsed lung and a cut to the right atrium of his heart.
McGrouther claimed in evidence that he only armed himself with a knife because the victim had a crossbow and said he had acted in self-defence.
The victim denied ever having a crossbow when he confronted McGrouther.
But, the court heard that after stabbing his neighbour , McGrouther went to a friend and told him: “I’ve stabbed my neighbour,’ and added: “I was the one with a knife. He had a crossbow”
Prosecutor Chris McKenna told the court: “Mr McGrouther has no previous convictions.”
Defence counsel Tony Lenehan said: “Mr McGrouther rejects the verdict of the jury. This was a single wound, which had terrible consequences.”
