Heroin addict stabbed victim in the back as he attempted to escape

Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 02:29

A STABBING victim stumbled into a busy pub with part of the weapon sticking out of his back, a court heard yesterday.

Scott Hume was attacked as he tried to escape from a pub in Leith after being chased by heroin addict Liam Howard.

Paramedics called to the Vine Bar cut away Mr Hume's clothes and found the foot-long blade had penetrated several inches into his back close to his spine.

The High Court in Edinburgh was yesterday told how surgeons operated to remove the weapon, which they found was millimetres from a major artery in the body.

The court heard how Mr Hume was confronted in the street by Howard, who had been involved with an earlier argument at a flat in the area. Howard was caught on CCTV cameras running away from the scene.

Howard, 18, who is currently behind bars in Polmont Young Offenders' Institution, admitted attempting to murder Mr Hume on 27 November last year at North Junction Street, in Leith.

Lady Smith said: "The crime to which you have pled guilty is one that is very serious indeed. The injury caused to the victim could have killed him."