A Bellsmyre teenager who stabbed a man during a dispute over drugs has been put behind bars for eight years.


Jamie MacIntyre, 18, tried to take the 18-year-old victim's life during the horrifying incident.


The High Court in Edinburgh heard how MacIntyre attacked the teenager with a blade during a confrontation at a house in Dumbarton on February 8.


His pal Ryan Mailley, 20, also assaulted the victim during the incident at the home in the town's Valeview Terrace. 


Dean Gillespie, 20, joined MacIntyre and Mailley to assault another man in the house at the time.


The men were sentenced today following a week-long trial last month.
Sentence had been deferred in order for the court to obtain reports on their characters.


Passing sentence, Judge Lord McEwan told MacIntyre, who was convicted of attempted murder, that he had no other option but to put him behind bars.


He added: "The victim might have died. He was stabbed so many times that he needed prompt medical intervention to save his life.


"The sentence will be one of eight years detention in a young offenders institution."


Mailley, MacIntyre, both of Bellsmyre, Dumbarton, Gillespie, of Alexandria, and another man called Nathan Stone, 24, stood trial on attempted murder charges. 


Following three hours of deliberation, a jury convicted MacIntyre last month of attempted murder and assault whilst Mailley was convicted of two assault charges and Gillespie was convicted of assault.


Mr Stone, whose address was given in court as being a prisoner of HMP Low Moss, walked free from court after being acquitted of all charges.


During proceedings, the court heard the victim give evidence that before being attacked he swopped drugs with the men who were accused of trying to murder him.


He told the jury that he had a quantity of ecstasy and swopped his pills for the former legal high Mephedrone which his attackers had in their possession.


However, the court heard they fallen out as the victim had suspected he had been given a 'fake' quantity of Mephedrone, and a row broke out which led to his attack.


Following conviction, judge Lord McEwan deferred sentence on MacIntyre, Mailley and Gillespie to obtain reports on their characters.


Lord McEwan told Mailley and Gillespie today that he would defer sentence on them for 12 months in order for them to be of good behaviour.