Two young thugs captured on Snapchat carrying out a brutal murder bid on a man have each been locked up for six years.
Christopher McDonald, 18, and Ben French, 20, attacked the 51 year-old at a flat in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, on 5th February 2023.
The man was stabbed with a large hunting knife as well as being punched, kicked and stamped upon.
The duo had each been bailed just three days earlier by a sheriff when they struck.
McDonald and French were today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier each admitted to an attempted murder charge.
Prosecutor Ann McNeill told how police became aware of the attack footage after McDonald sent it to others on his Snapchat contacts list.
The clips – described as a “graphic” – were played in court.
They began with a picture of a large blade – which appeared to have blood staining – being shown in front of the camera.
The bleeding and wounded victim cowered and groaned in pain as he was set upon.
Miss McNeill: “He was seen with another male – later identified as French – assaulting an older male by repeatedly kicking and punching him on the head and body.
“There was repeated stamping on his head, brandishing of a knife and repeated stabbing to the buttocks.”
A police probe was launched which included trying to trace the victim.
It eventually lead officers to the flat in Thornliebank.
The victim answered – he was bleeding from “severe” facial injuries as well as wounds to his buttocks.
The man told how he had been out the night before in Lanarkshire before going to a bar in Glasgow’s Shawlands.
He then got a bus home, but fell asleep during the journey and ending up getting off in the city’s Gorbals.
As the man checked the time for the next bus, a man approached and asked for a cigarette.
He believed they went to a nearby pub, but his next memory was when police turned up.
The victim needed extensive hospital treatment having suffered multiple fractures to his skull, cheek, jaw as well as eight stab wounds and a punctured lung.
He required two further operations due to an infection.
The man has been scarred for life, has permanent numbness on one side of his face and has lost all hearing his left ear.
McDonald was held initially for breaching bail.
While he was getting his fingerprints taken, he then stated: “Watch the hand. I punched the c***. Ha, ha.
“F***, there are cameras in here.”
French was also later charged by police.
McDonald’s lawyer Jonathan Crowe today told the court: “He is horrified at being involved in this.
“He has instructed me to offer a public apology. Never again will he consider carrying or using weapons.”
Rosalyn McTaggart, defending French, stated: “I offer no mitigation. He is clear in his instructions that this offence was despicable.”
Lord Clark said the custodial term would have been eight years, but for the guilty pleas.
He told the pair: “The video footage recorded by you, McDonald, graphically showed the high level of violence used and the damage done to the victim.
“The victim impact statement explains the quite awful physical, emotional and psychological consequences this appalling attack has caused.”