Seven years in prison for attempting to murder teenager in Holytown with a meat cleaver

Allan Brown (32) repeatedly hit his 18-year-old victim Reece Talbot with the weapon during the assault in Sunnyside Terrace in 2018.

Lord Burns told Brown at the High Court in Edinburgh: “For reasons I do not know and only you know you deliberately targeted Mr Talbot on this day and proceeded to assault him in a very bad way with a meat cleaver.”

He added: “The jury found, not surprisingly, that the attack constituted an attempt to murder Mr Talbot.

“Attacks with weapons that constitute attempted murder must be dealt with severely.”

The judge said that Brown had a significant criminal record but had not been convicted of an offence related to violence since 2008.

Lord Burns ordered that Brown be kept under supervision for a further three years after his release in an attempt to reduce the risk he poses.

Brown had denied the murder bid during an earlier trial, but was found guilty of the offence.

He was convicted of assaulting Mr Talbot to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life and attempting to murder him on July 1 in 2018 by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with the weapon.

Defence solicitor advocate Robert Mitchell said it was accepted he was convicted of a very serious offence and that a lengthy custodial sentence was inevitable.

He said it was fortunate that the victim appeared to have recovered.

Mr Mitchell said that Brown, a prisoner in Addiewell jail, had for a lengthy period of time appeared to have turned his back on his previous behaviour.

The defence lawyer said the construction worker seemed to be capable of “leading a hard working, ordinary life” and added: “He is still a relatively young man.”