Sliced finger flushed down toilet in Glenrothes attack Published duration 30 August 2012

A man had part of his finger sliced off before it was flushed down the toilet, a court has heard.

Stephen Gilmartin barged his way into the home of James Grieve armed with a homemade weapon and began repeatedly striking him with it.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the pole-like weapon had a blade taped to the end.

Gilmartin, 40, admitted carrying out the assault in Glenrothes. Sentence was deferred until next month.

Advocate depute Pino Di Emidio said the victim put his arms up to defend himself as he was repeatedly struck on the head by the weapon.

Mr Grieve then curled into a ball on the floor of a bedroom at his home in Glenrothes as the attack on him continued.

Mr Di Emidio added: "The accused proceeded to strike him on the legs with the bladed instrument about 10 times. Throughout the attack the victim could be heard screaming and shouting.

"After some time the accused realised that in the course of the assault he had sliced off part of the victim's finger.

"The accused was then heard to shout 'just grab it and flush it down the toilet'."

Mr Di Emidio told the court that while it was unclear who actually flushed the partially severed finger away, but Gilmartin instructed it to be done.

Gilmartin and two other people originally faced a charge of attempting to murder Mr Grieve following the assault on 12 April this year.

But the Crown amended the charge to one of assaulting him to his severe injury, permanent impairment and disfigurement by repeatedly striking him with the weapon and cutting off part of his finger and disposing of the severed part, which Gilmartin admitted.

Previous convictions

Co-accused Kimberley Petrie, 30, and Scott West, 41, were acquitted after the Crown accepted their not guilty pleas to the charge.

The attack victim was taken to hospital for treatment to multiple cut wounds.

Mr Di Emidio said there had been "a general background of disagreements" between Ms Petrie - Gilmartin's partner - and Mr West on the one hand and Mr Grieve and his partner on the other.

Defence solicitor advocate Chris Fyffe said although Gilmartin had previous convictions there was nothing on his record which came close to this level of offending.