Bellshill, Lanarkshire – A man has been sentenced to jail for stabbing another man in the face with a meat cleaver after luring him out of his home. Vincent Sleep, 58, orchestrated the attack on Michael Gallagher, 53, by pretending that Gallagher’s sister was in trouble. The incident took place in Bellshill, Lanarkshire.
Gallagher was awoken by a knock at his door, only to be confronted by Sleep, who inquired about his sister Claire Gallagher. Without warning, Sleep dragged Gallagher out of his house and proceeded to stab him multiple times with a seven-inch blade in January of the previous year. The vicious attack left Gallagher severely injured, with wounds to his face, shoulder, back, and head.
After the assault, Sleep, accompanied by two unidentified individuals, quickly escaped the scene. Gallagher’s frantic family members called emergency services and attempted to stop the bleeding. Subsequently, the police discovered a glove under a car on the property, containing Sleep’s DNA. Sleep was apprehended eight weeks later in connection to the attack.
During the trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court, Sleep maintained his innocence, denying any involvement in the attack or knowledge of Gallagher. However, jurors unanimously found him guilty of assault resulting in severe injury, permanent impairment, disfigurement, and endangering life following a three-day trial. Gallagher testified to the violence that ensued when Sleep forced his way into the house and inflicted life-threatening injuries.
Despite Sleep’s claims of innocence, forensic evidence, including the presence of his DNA in the glove found at the scene, strongly implicated him in the crime. The presiding sheriff, Linda Nicolson, ordered Sleep to be remanded in custody until sentencing the following month for further evaluations.
As Gallagher continues to recover from the physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon him, the case serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of senseless acts of violence in communities. The sentencing of Sleep brings a degree of closure to the harrowing ordeal faced by Gallagher and his family, as they seek to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the attack.