Knifeman sewed up victim's wounds

Police found Lochrane covered in blood after he tried to sew up his victim

A teenager repeatedly stabbed his best friend before trying to stitch up the wounds with a needle and thread from a sewing kit, a court has heard.

Paul Lochrane attacked Graham Brown with a bread knife after downing a cocktail of drink and drugs.

Brown then found his partner's sewing kit and asked Lochrane to sew him up.

Lochrane was found guilty of repeatedly stabbing Mr Brown to his severe injury by a jury at Perth Sheriff Court. Sentence was deferred.

The trial was told that Lochrane, 19, and Brown, 20, had been involved in a disturbance in Hill Garden, Coupar Angus, Perthshire on 22 December last year.

Witnesses said they saw the two men fighting, before Lochrane launched the knife attack.

Seven blows

As Mr Brown fled to his partner Cindy Marshall's house, Lochrane ran after him shouting that he was "only playing."

Ms Marshall, 37, told the court Mr Brown and Lochrane had been "best pals" until the incident.

She heard her door being kicked and then heard Mr Brown saying: "No Paul, I'm not opening the door, you stabbed me."

Ms Marshall told the court there was blood "everywhere" and said Mr Brown "went and got my sewing tin and asked Paul to help sew himself up."

She said Lochrane "gave it a good shot" as he sewed up the wounds.

The court was told that Lochrane had lashed out with the knife at least a dozen times, with at least seven blows puncturing his victim's skin. There were around 20 rips in Mr Brown's thick padded jacket.

Speed and valium

When police arrived at the house they found Lochrane covered in blood which he claimed was from helping to sew up his friend's cuts.

Mr Brown was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee where he was treated for injuries to his back, front, legs and arms.

He told the court he and Lochrane had been drinking for a week and had taken a cocktail of speed and valium.

He said he was "a bit hazy" about what happened, but said he could remember "trying to sew my leg up with a needle and thread."

Lochrane, Princes Croft, Coupar Angus, was also found guilty of possessing a knife. Sentence was deferred for reports and he was remanded in custody.