Knife teen ‘was slashed by his mum’
A MERKINCH teenager who surrendered a knife to police claimed he was carrying it after being slashed and wounded by his mum.
Jonathan Reid (17) of Dunabban Road, Inverness, ended up in court on Tuesday after he presented the lock-knife from his pocket to police who were at Waterloo Place, attending another matter at around 4am on November 20 last year.
Depute fiscal Fiona Smith told Inverness Sheriff Court: "When he was cautioned and charged, he said he knew it was wrong. That may have been why he approached police of his own volition."
However, defence solicitor Craig Wood told how Reid, a kitchen porter, had been carrying the blade after a dispute with his mum, who has mental health issues and who he lives with.
He said that during the course of an argument about whether is father is his biological dad, his mum slashed him on his shoulder, leaving him injured.
He added that after he had produced the knife to police, officers had taken him to hospital where he received five stitches to a wound on his upper shoulder.
Sheriff Ian Abercrombie said he would normally imprison those found carrying knives, but due to the circumstances was placing Reid on a structured deferred sentence for three months, during which time he should seek alternative accommodation from his mother, and attend alcohol counselling.
He will return to court on May 12 for a supplementary deferred sentence report.