A thug who burst into a man’s home and stabbed him in the neck was jailed for four years last Wednesday (18 March) after a sheriff labelled him “a man of escalating violence”.

Thomas Begley (34) left his victim, Anthony Orchard, lying in his home in a pool of blood.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that the incident occurred in Fisher Row, Stirling, in October 2014, just months after Begley had assaulted Mr Orchard in a previous incident.

Ann Orr, prosecuting, said Mr Orchard had been lying on his couch in his living room when he “became aware of two males standing over him”.

The depute fiscal said: “He recognised Thomas Begley and saw he had a knife in his hand.

“Begley then stabbed Mr Orchard in the neck and body.

“Mr Orchard began fighting against Begley, but Begley got him in a headlock and punched him twice in the face before he ran out of the flat.” About 20 minutes later, Begley was seen giving a black-handled knife with a six-inch blade to another man in the street, telling him, “gonnae get rid of that for us”.

Meanwhile, police had attended at Mr Orchard’s flat after he had rung them to tell them he had been stabbed.

Mrs Orr said: “He said he had been stabbed a number of times, and Begley was one of those responsible.

“Police attended immediately, and it was seen he had a number of injuries, including stab wounds, on his neck and body.

“There was a significant amount of blood loss apparent.” An ambulance was called and Mr Orchard was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, where doctors were initially concerned for him as his blood pressure was dropping. However, his condition was stabilised.

Doctors noted that his injuries included a two-centimetre wound on the left-hand side of his chest, a three-centimetre deep wound on his left upper arm, and a stab wound on his neck.

The incident occurred on 3 October 2014.

Begley was arrested in Woodside Road, Stirling, the next day by officers manning a police cordon.

He insisted to cops that he had acted alone.

He told officers: “The guy that got assaulted freaks me out big time.” Begley, of Stirling, described on court papers as care of Low Moss prison, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, and danger of life.

The court heard that a social work report assessed him as a high-risk violent offender, with more than 40 previous convictions including 11 for violence.

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson made Begley subject to an extended sentence of seven years - four years imprisonment, plus a further three years during which he can be recalled to jail if he re-offends.

He told him: “It’s clear you are a man of escalating violence.

“This offence was committed against a background of bad blood.”