Thug jailed for knife attack on terrified fiancée

A violent criminal has been jailed for five years after he left his fiancée scarred for life in a terrifying knife attack during which he repeatedly threatened to kill her.
Joshua Cantlon. Picture: Vic RodrickJoshua Cantlon. Picture: Vic Rodrick
Joshua Cantlon. Picture: Vic Rodrick

Joshua Cantlon cut Sian Fulton several times and stabbed her in the right hand, leaving a permanent scar.

Cantlon, 21, from Broxburn, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement. He was on bail at the time for assaulting an ex-partner to her injury.

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The court heard he also had previous convictions for domestic abuse and for assaulting a seven-month-old baby – and had just completed an 18-month prison sentence for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

At the High Court in Livingston yesterday, he was given a nine-year extended sentence including a jail term of five years and nine months and three years and three months on licence.

Cantlon earlier pleaded guilty to attacking Miss Fulton in his home at Cardross Road, Broxburn, after a night out on July 3 last year.

He grabbed her by the neck and headbutted her, then seized hold of her hair and dragged her into the hallway, before going into the kitchen and returning with a knife in his hand.

He forced his way into the bathroom where she had taken refuge and shouted that he was going to kill her.

He then repeatedly tried to stab her on the face and throat with the knife but slashed her on the arm instead as she desperately put her hands up to defend herself.

Cantlon continued to strike at her with the weapon, cutting her on the hands as she tried to protect her face.

Then without warning, Cantlon suddenly stopped and began to apologise for his behaviour. He threw a bag of clothing at her, grabbed her by the throat and threw her out of the house.

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Miss Fulton went to his mum’s house nearby where she contacted her former partner who told her to call the police.

Officers later found a bloodied knife in Cantlon’s kitchen sink and arrested him.

Miss Fulton suffered cracked ribs, a fractured cheekbone, a puncture wound on her right hand and numerous cuts on her hands, neck and arm

Passing sentence, Lord Bannatyne told Cantlon he had pleaded guilty to a very serious charge.

He said: “It involved an unprovoked assault on a defenceless woman and in the course of it a knife was used. At the time of this offence you were on bail. Beyond the offence itself I note that you have a short but significant record and you are said to be at imminent risk of causing serious harm.

“Against that background I believe that a very lengthy extended sentence is appropriate in your case.”