Wife weeps in court for sleepwalk husband who tried to kill her

A TAXI driver who claimed he was sleepwalking when he attacked his wife has been convicted of attempted murder.

John Docherty (57) repeatedly stabbed saleswoman Eileen at their home in Glasgow in December 2009 as he believed she was having an affair.

Mrs Docherty (56) was horrifically injured - including a 12cm wound to her neck that cut into her windpipe.

Docherty alleged at the High Court in Glasgow that he had no memory of the attack and was sleepwalking at the time.

Mrs Docherty backed her husband of 37 years claiming he would not have "knowingly" hurt her. But a jury found him guilty of the murder bid following a week-long trial.

Mrs Docherty and her two daughters, Cheryl, 31, and Kirsty, 28, sobbed after the majority verdict was returned. Docherty will be sentenced next month.

One of his girls said "see you after" as her father was taken down to the cells in handcuffs.

The attack happened on 14 December, 2009, at the couple's home in Penilee.

Docherty believed his wife was seeing another man and began to check her mobile phone and text messages. The pair sought medical help and their GP later noted there was a "marriage issue".

The evening before the stabbing, Docherty and his wife had gone on a night out with friends.

They returned to their home around midnight and Mrs Docherty went to bed, leaving her husband downstairs.

Prosecutors said that in a "drunken and jealous rage" he grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked his wife.

Mrs Docherty recalled seeing him with "stary and glassy" eyes at the side of their bed clutching the blade.

She told the jury: "It all happened so very fast. I tried to get the knife from him. There was a struggle. I grabbed hold of the blade with two hands. It was just sheer panic.

"I think I was just screaming. I was on the floor and the next thing I remember was the paramedics being there. I remember them saying they were there to help."

The court heard Docherty's 999 call in which he claims there had been "a mad fight". He also said his wife had told him she had "been with his pal".

Mrs Docherty suffered a number of wounds to her face, neck and hands, but told jurors she still loved her husband.

She added: "I basically know that he was asleep. There is no way he would have done this knowingly."

Docherty - who had a history of sleepwalking - lodged a special defence that he was acting "during the onset of somnambulism" at the time.

But sleep expert Professor Colin Espie told the court it was "highly unlikely" Docherty was asleep at the time.

Judge John Beckett, QC, told the jury it had been an "extremely difficult case" involving "unusual evidence". The judge adjourned sentencing for reports.