Knife thug sent back to prison after being caught with blade

Paul Brown, aged 26, was originally jailed for six years and 11 months in 2004 after wounding Grant Fairgrieve in a street attack in the Capital.

But Brown, from Leith, was released on licence last year before police found him with a craft knife at the city's North Hillhousefield on January 23 this year, a court heard.

He was brought back before the judge who originally jailed him at the High Court in Edinburgh to consider making an order returning him to prison over the unexpired part of his original sentence.

Yesterday Lord Uist told him he recollected the earlier crime and said: "It was an absolutely appalling attack in a public street."

The judge said that at the time of the latest offence there was one year and ten months of the jail sentence remaining and added: "I see no reason why you should not serve that period."

He ordered that Brown should serve the 22 months before he starts any sentence imposed on him at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for having the Stanley knife.

Defence solicitor advocate Simon Collins said that following his release from prison Brown had got work with a firm which put up marquees.

Brown originally pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Fairgrieve, 23, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment on 25 January, 2003 at Argyle Street.

At the time he was jailed for the attack the judge told him: "This case is yet another example of the consequences of the youth knife culture which is a scourge of Scotland."

The court heard that Brown and his victim had previously swapped allegations of smashing windows at each others' homes.

Mr Fairgrieve told police that when he met Brown by chance he wanted to speak to him to "call it quits". During a confrontation he did not know he had been knifed until he saw the weapon in Brown's hand.

He was taken to hospital where surgeons had to remove an eye a week later.