Men filmed knife attack and shared it on Snapchat

The two men shared footage of the attack on Snapchat

Two men who filmed an attack on a 51-year-old man and shared it on Snapchat have been sentenced to six years in jail.

Christopher McDonald, 18, and Ben French, 20, attacked the man at a flat in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in February 2023.

The court saw "graphic" videos filmed by McDonald where the man was stabbed with a large hunting knife as well as being punched, kicked and stamped on.

The pair had each been bailed by a sheriff three days earlier.

McDonald and French were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow, each having admitted an attempted murder charge.

Prosecutor Ann McNeill told how police became aware of the attack footage after McDonald sent it to others on his Snapchat contacts list.

The clips began with a picture of a large knife which appeared to be covered in blood.

The victim was then shown, bleeding and wounded before being set upon.

Ms McNeill told the court there was "repeated stamping on his head, brandishing of a knife and repeated stabbing to the buttocks".

A police investigation was launched which included trying to trace the victim which eventually led officers to the flat in Thornliebank.

The victim answered the door to police, bleeding from "severe" facial injuries as well as wounds to his buttocks.

The man said following a night out in Lanarkshire, he went to a bar in Glasgow's Shawlands.

He then got a bus home, but fell asleep during the journey, ending up in the city's Gorbals.

As he checked the time of the next bus, a man approached him and asked for a cigarette.

He said he believed they went to a nearby pub but his next memory was when police turned up.

The victim needed extensive hospital treatment having suffered multiple fractures to his skull, cheek, jaw as well as eight stab wounds and a punctured lung.

He required two further operations due to an infection.

The man has been scarred for life, has permanent numbness on one side of his face and has lost all hearing his left ear.

Public apology

Representing McDonald, lawyer Jonathan Crowe told the court his client was "horrified at being involved in this".

He added: "He has instructed me to offer a public apology. Never again will he consider carrying or using weapons."

Rosalyn McTaggart, defending French, stated: "I offer no mitigation. He is clear in his instructions that this offence was despicable."

Lord Clark said the custodial term would have been eight years, but for the guilty pleas.

He told the pair: "The video footage recorded by you, McDonald, graphically showed the high level of violence used and the damage done to the victim.

"The victim impact statement explains the quite awful physical, emotional and psychological consequences this appalling attack has caused."