Charges against a man arrested over a horror knife incident in Irvine have been dropped – after he described how he had acted in self defence.
Darren Jones, 36, and Catherine Wilson, 35, were due to face serious assault and threatening behaviour charges after an incident outside the Fullarton shop in McKinlay Crescent - footage of which was widely shared on social media - on February 13, 2020.
However charges against both have now been dropped – and Mr Jones told the Times he only responded in self defence after the other man involved in the incident tried to stab his female friend.
Mr Jones, who suffers from PTSD after serving in the armed forces, added: “I’m happy the case is done with.
“The incident had totally been turned on ourselves. A man had come out of an address. He shouted at me and Catherine something about a dog, I thought he lost a dog or something, I had never saw this man before.
“He then approached and I saw that he had a knife. I told Catherine to run but she froze with fear.
“He then tried to stab Catherine and we started fighting. Catherine made her way round to a shop while I gave her time while fighting this man.
“The man then said he was going to get something bigger to chop me up he mentioned a machete. He actually put a hole in my fleece under my left oxter.
“I saw nothing around me until I saw this roof tile I thought I could use to protect myself.
“He still had the knife at this point. I then hit him with the tile but he never let go of the knife.
“The tile was so flimsy it shattered.
“I then went to look for Catherine. I ran round to the shop to look in, she’s there talking to the shopkeeper.
“As I looked in the window I saw to my left the same man, this time he had a brick in his right hand and the knife in the left.
“I shouted to Catherine to stay in the shop. The brick struck the back of my head, I then turned and saw Catherine was now out the shop and the man was going towards her with the knife.
“I ran and rugby tackled him, then in the video I’m trying to get the knife out his hands.
“Although I had just been hit with a brick, I do not recall those events where I’m struggling with him.
“At hospital my head was glued at the back together and I had cuts and grazes on my legs.
“There is CCTV proving that I was telling the truth. Also CCTV was sent to a expert who enhanced what he had in his hands it clearly shows a Knife that I and witnesses said he had.I want to get this CCTV because it will show that he was attacking a woman, firstly and I was only in a situation no one wants to ever be in.
“There are witness statements stating the man had a knife, and also stating he struck me with a brick. The man tried to murder me, that is for sure.”
The Times reported that Mr Jones had been charged with assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement by repeatedly striking and kicking the man in the head and body and hitting him on the head with a roof tile.
Mr Jones and Ms Wilson faced a second serious assault charge involving the same man in Fullarton Street, where they were accused of repeatedly hitting and kicking him in the body and repeatedly striking him in the head with a knife to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Ms Wilson also faced a charge of spitting while shouting and swearing at police.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The procurator fiscal received a report relating to a [then] 33-year-old male and a 33-year-old female and an incident said to have occurred on February 13, 2020.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, the procurator fiscal decided that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.
“The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here