Murder bid samurai soldier jailed

The court heard Daly attacked his victim with a samurai sword

A former soldier has been jailed for nine years after trying to murder a man with a samurai sword in a street attack in Lanarkshire.

Paul McDonnell, 33, was left with facial scars after 24-year-old Daniel Daly struck him with the weapon in Hamilton in March this year.

The court heard that Daly had served in Iraq and Northern Ireland.

Sentencing him, Judge Lady Stacey said she accepted he had struggled with the transition back to civilian life.

Daly had denied attempted murder but was found guilty at an earlier trial of striking Mr McDonnell on the head and body with a sword to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of his life.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the attack happened as Mr McDonnell walked down a street carry a wooden stretcher.

He said a van came to a halt further down the street and a man emerged carrying a sword.

This is a man who has given of himself in the service of his country Paul McBride Defence counsel

He told the trial: "I got in with the wooden stretcher first and then got hit on the face and on my hands. I lost a fingertip on my right hand.

Defence counsel Paul McBride QC said his client found it difficult to reconcile his career in the Army coming to an end.

Daly served as a soldier in Iraq and Northern Ireland before being discharged after he was the victim of an earlier assault.

Mr McBride said: "This is a man who has given of himself in the service of his country."

"He was sufficiently highly regarded to be allowed into the community to recruit others."

Lady Stacey told Daly: "I accept you have served your country and been decorated for that. I also accept that you have found the transition back to civilian life difficult.

"However, I have to have regard to law and order. You went out in the middle of the night armed with a sword to confront Mr McDonnell with whom you had issues.

"That behaviour is completely unacceptable."

The judge said she had been shown a Samurai sword during Daly's earlier trial and added: "It is a fearsome weapon."