Man stabbed himself in chest

Jan 13 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

SIX days after police found a Perth man in a city street with a knife sticking from his abdomen, he stabbed himself in the chest in his flat.

And in an ambulance going to hospital Graeme Thomson attempted to inflict further injury on himself by trying to tear open the wound.

Thomson (26), of Moulin Crescent, will be sentenced for the self-harm offences at Perth Sheriff Court on July 29.

Thomson admitted committing a breach of the peace by harming himself in his flat in Balgowan Road, Perth, on September 12.

The court was told that the ambulance service received a call from him at 6.45pm that evening, stating he had been stabbed in the chest.

Police also arrived.

“Officers observed the accused standing in the hallway, with a black-handled knife sticking out from the upper right pectoral area of his body.

“The wound seemed superficial and the knife fell to the floor not long after the door was opened.”

He initially refused to divulge if the wound had been self-inflicted and repeatedly struggled with paramedics as he was being treated.

When police searched the house, they found what appeared to be a suicide note.

“As he was being taken to PRI, he began shouting and swearing.”

“He also tried to gouge open the wound he had sustained and was placed in handcuffs for his own and the officers’ safety,” added the depute fiscal.

The wound was later “glued” together and he was detained overnight for observation.

Thomson also admitted a further breach of the peace – and being in possession of a knife – in Crieff Road, Perth, on September 6.

On that occasion, the accused was seen standing on the pavement with a knife sticking from his abdomen.

He was taken to Ninewells where the weapon was removed under local anaesthetic.

He had sustained a superficial wound to the right side of his stomach and that was treated.

A solicitor told the court that Thomson had an emotionally unstable personality disorder, triggered by an excessive intake of alcohol.

He had “self-harmed” and then called the emergency services to give him assistance.

He hoped to receive a course of Antibuse to keep him off alcohol.