Thug admonished for horrific Halloween scissor attack on Perth schoolboy

A young thug who admitted a horror scissor attack on a Perth schoolboy has been formally admonished.

Reece Duncan has avoided further punishment for the gruesome Moncreiffe Island stabbing after successfully completing nearly 300 hours of unpaid work as part of a two-year rehabilitation course.

But the 20-year-old was warned he could yet be locked up for his continued offending.

He has admitted a series of offences – including incidents involving weapons – since the Halloween night attack in 2020.

These included damaging cars with a hammer in a Perth street and swinging a baseball bat at a couple outside his home.

Hammer and baseball bat

In 2022 Duncan was placed on structured deferred sentence for the stabbing, which saw his 15-year-old victim lose nearly half a pint of blood.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how the schoolboy was slashed three times with a pair of scissors.

One wound was so deep it had penetrated his thighbone.

Duncan, who was just 16 at the time, had been “out of control” on tonic wine, the court was told.

He returned to the dock for sentencing, having admitted five other charges.

Duncan pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on May 26 this year, by shouting, swearing and using a hammer to damage a Mini Cooper and Ford Transit in Perth’s Carnegie Place.

He also kicked a Vauxhall Corsa, causing damage.

On July 5 2024, he was caught on CCTV with a baseball bat outside his Bute Drive home.

The court heard he stepped into the street with the weapon after a couple outside were making threats against him and his partner.

Duncan also pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in the city’s May Place on September 27.

And he further admitted two breaches of court bail orders.

Close encounter

Sheriff William Wood told him: “Mr Duncan, you are constantly a source of disappointment to me.

“Having been involved in this ugly incident back in 2020, and being made aware that this sort of behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated, you might have thought that your close encounter with a possible custodial sentence might have led you to moderate your behaviour.”

He said: “I am not going to send you to prison today but you have to start making better choices.

“Otherwise there is a certain inevitability that I am going to have to send you to prison or detention.”

“I really don’t want to that but you have to stay out of trouble.”

Duncan was told a line would be drawn under the assault conviction, having been on the Right Track young offenders programme for two years.

He has also completed more than 270 hours unpaid work.

“Had you been an adult you would have completed a community payback order with unpaid work, so you have effectively completed that,” the sheriff said.

“As far as that matter is concerned, you will be admonished.”

Sentencing on all other cases was deferred until January 29. He was put back on the Right Track scheme.

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