A former lumberjack who carried out a ‘horrific’ attack which left an 80-year-old man’s fingers hanging off has been jailed for six years.
Donald Sandilands – who is known as Donna and was called Miss Sandilands during proceedings – assaulted Alexander McTavish with the chainsaw and chased him with the lethal device as he desperately tried to escape.
The High Court in Dundee was told the 48-year-old – who was banned from ever approaching Mr McTavish or his partner Christine Devito – carried out the attack in a row over the sale of a tractor.
Solicitor Advocate Luke O’Curry, defending, told the court Sandilands suffered a severe industrial accident while working as a lumberjack in 2015.
Mr O’Curry told the court his client had lost the sight in one eye as a result and was also no longer able to regulate his reactions to certain difficult situations.
Sentencing, Lord Ericht said: ‘You have pled guilty to a charge of pursuing Alexander McTavish with a chainsaw, brandishing the same at him and uttering threats of violence; entering his house and repeatedly striking him on the body with the chainsaw to his severe injury, permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.
‘Mr McTavish was sitting in his own home watching television with his partner Christine Devito, when you drove through the gate. When he came outside you started the chainsaw and threatened to kill him.
‘When he retreated inside you put the chainsaw through a gap in the door, breaking the glass and pushed it through – striking him on the hip and left hand.
‘He tried to push the saw away and his fingers were left hanging by the bone. Ms Devito ran to the bathroom, locked the door and called 999. She emerged to find him sitting in the living room holding his side.
‘Upon seeing her, you revved the chainsaw and struck the TV with it three times. Mr McTavish fled the house and you pursued him with the chainsaw.
‘He fell, but managed to get to his feet again, and continued running. You only put down the chainsaw when a firearms officer drew his taser.
‘There was significant damage to the tendons. He was left with permanent scarring and impairment. He has permanently lost the use of the second and third fingers on his left hand.
‘This was a horrific, terrifying and persistent attack on an 80-year-old man at his own home. There is no alternative to a custodial sentence.’
Sandilands, who appeared as both Donald and Donna on court papers, threatened to kill Mr McTavish if money was not repaid over the transaction.
During the attack Sandilands repeatedly warned Mr McTavish: ‘Get my father’s money or I will kill you.’
The thug told police: ‘If I wanted to kill him, I would’ve killed him. I didn’t try to kill him. He is making it up. He cut himself on the chainsaw. He tried to run and grab it.’
Sandilands admitted assaulting Mr McTavish to his severe injury, permanent impairment and disfigurement and to the danger of his life on February 9 this year at High Street, Kinross, and pursuing the victim, brandishing the weapon, making violent threats, entering the property in Kinross and repeatedly striking him on the body with the chainsaw.
Advocate depute Ruaraidh Ferguson told the court: ‘The accused is known as Donna Sandilands. She has one previous conviction for a road traffic offence from 2011.’
The prosecutor said Mr McTavish had known Sandilands’ father, Ewan Sandilands, for at least 10 years and sold him a tractor for £3,500 in November last year.
Mr Ferguson said Mr Sandilands considered there were ‘various issues’ with the tractor and they were in talks over whether there should be a refund or replacement.
‘The situation appears to have aggrieved the accused, though she had no direct involvement in the purchase of the tractor,’ said Mr Ferguson.
‘Throughout the day and into the early evening of February 9 this year the accused exchanged text messages with her father in relation to Mr McTavish’s failure to make repayment for the faulty tractor.
‘These messages included the accused stating: ‘I’m going to kill him tonight’.’
Upon seeing the chainsaw-wielding attacker, Mr McTavish asked: ‘Donald, what are you doing?.’
He told Sandilands to turn off the chainsaw so they could talk.
Mr Ferguson said: ‘It was not possible for Mr McTavish to successfully engage with the accused as she was shouting and swearing.’
The prosecutor said: ‘Mr McTavish attempted to close the doors on the chainsaw. As he did so the accused pushed the chainsaw through the gap, striking the complainer on the left hip and the left hand.
‘Mr McTavish attempted to push the chainsaw away from him and the chainsaw struck his hand again.’
Mr McTavish was taken to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital for surgery on his left hand to repair tendon damage, but lost the use of two fingers.
Mr O’Curry said: ‘Miss Sandilands is an individual who has had a number of traumatic incidents in their life. Notwithstanding these challenges they had a pro-social life until 2015, when a brain injury from a lumberjack job made an impact.
‘Miss Sandilands was then unable to hold down work, lost sight in one eye and has had significant physical and mental impairment since.
‘Miss Sandilands has identified that since that head injury there has been a difficulty in processing perceived threats. There seem to have been a number of incidents where Miss Sandilands has responded illogically and this appears to be one of those incidents.
‘The reaction is identifiably extreme. Miss Sandilands has some difficulty in recognising the impact upon the victim. Miss Sandilands is clearly unable to recognise what an extreme reaction she has brought to this situation.’
Sandilands, wearing glasses and a prison issue sweatshirt, appeared via video-link from maximum security men’s jail Perth Prison.