Two months’ jail for man who brandished knife during row

Nov 19 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

BRANDISHING a knife during a brawl has landed a man in prison.

Rodney Murney went with a friend to their stepdaughter’s home in Polbeth where a fight broke out. And during the fracas the 39 year old — who has a history of violence — joined in and produced a knife.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard there had been trouble between Murney’s friend and his stepdaughter’s friends previous to the brawl.

On the night of the fight in July, Murney had been drinking with the man in a pub in West Calder. The man’s stepdaughter was also in the pub with her friends but left to go and have a drink with eight friends in her Polbeth home. Shortly after midnight, the man and Murney turned up at her door and a fight started.

During the fight bottles were broken and thrown. Murney came out from the kitchen brandishing a knife with a four-inch blade.

One of the witnesses pleaded with him to put it down and then hid in the living room.

The police were called but by the time they arrived Murney had left the scene. He was later identified and arrested.

Murney, whose address was given as Broomhill, Edinburgh, pled guilty to causing a breach of the peace and brandishing a knife. His solicitor, Neil Robertson, told the court his client had spent 108 days in custody for the offence.

Mr Robertson added: “He had gone to assist his friend through misguided loyalty.

“He went to the kitchen and got the knife and brandished it. It was his intention to split the fight up. He remembers the girl shouting and thinking that he had better put the knife down so he did and went back to assist his friend. He put himself in difficulty and overreacted. When he realised he had over-reacted, he put the knife down.”

Sheriff Graeme Warner said he had no option but to jail Murney for the offence given his previous convictions.

Sentencing the accused to two months in jail, Sheriff Warner said: “I have had no previous dealings with you or this case. I came to it quite new this morning and I have to tell you that when I first saw the papers I thought this was very serious given your background and record. I am speaking about the matter you served a lengthy custodial sentence for in 1988 when you obviously thought at that time it was a good idea to get a knife.

“And here you are some 20 years later and when you find yourself in trouble you think the answer again is to get a knife. You are lucky you are standing in front of me and not in the high court facing more serious charges.

“I do accept that after brandishing the knife you put it away. But it was still your first choice which is concerning and a very serious matter. Because of your background I think if you had been appearing in front of me after trial I would have put you in jail for one year.”