Inverness man knifed estranged father in Black Isle house in long-running row over inheritance cash
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A LONG-running dispute over money escalated when an Inverness man knifed his estranged father in the arm.
First offender Simon Junor (33), of Ardconnel Street, suspected his dad, Kenneth, of keeping inheritance left by his deceased mother, and told police after he was arrested: “I should have done it 10 years ago.”
Defence solicitor advocate Mike Chapman told Inverness Sheriff Court that his client’s mother had died of cancer more than a decade ago and despite repeated questioning of his father by Junor, his requests about the cash were “fobbed off”.
The controversy reached breaking point on April 5 last year when Junor went to his grandmother’s house in High Street, Fortrose, where his father, with whom he had not spoken to for 18 months, was residing.
There was a row over a missing bag, Junor went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and cut his father’s forearm in the presence of his 87-year-old gran. Fiscal depute Ross Carvel told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that “blood was spurting out, Mr Junor snr felt weaker, and started shaking. He was taken to Raigmore Hospital, where he was operated on, but the injuries were not life-threatening.
“He did not divulge why he assaulted his father but alluded to something having happened in the past between them and that he was not ready to talk about it with the police,” Mr Carvel added.
Mr Chapman said he had asked Junor about this but he refused to discuss it.
Junor admitted failing to appear for a court date in February, and had been remanded in custody as a result. He also pleaded guilty to assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life. Junor was jailed for two years.
Mr Chapman went on: “His relationship with his father has never been good. He says it was hostile and aggressive and he felt that his father hated him. After his mother died from cancer when he was 21, his father moved out of the family home and effectively left his son to fend for himself - something that he did not have great success at.
“At the time of the offence, he had been working in the Co-op in Inverness but left after an altercation with a customer who had jumped the queue. The following day he travelled to his paternal grandmother’s house to confront his father, and foolishly took a knife, his intention being to frighten his father.”
Mr Chapman explained that after his arrest, Junor’s mental health deteriorated and that was the reason he failed to turn up for a court hearing.
Junor’s sentence was backdated to March 4, when he was remanded in custody.
