Edinburgh crime: Thug Robert Dunn has jail sentence extended after trying to stab cyclist and bite him

A thug who attempted to stab a cyclist and bite his face during an unprovoked attack has been handed an extended jail sentence.

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Robert Dunn, 27, was sitting on the ground at an Edinburgh canal when biker Francisco Moreno approached while out on his morning cycle.

As the cyclist passed Dunn the attacker jumped up and lunged at him with a large knife in his hand in October last year.

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Mr Moreno managed to bravely fight off the attack by grabbing hold of the “serrated” blade and wrestle the weapon from Dunn’s grasp.

The 40-year-old victim suffered numerous cuts to his hands and fingers during the violent incident at the Union Canal pathway on October 10 last year.

A passing runner witnessed the attack and called the police leading to Dunn run from the scene.

In the hours following the attack Dunn then emailed and phoned police to claim he needed help for his mental health issues.

He was picked up later that day by officers while in possession of a pair of scissors at the city’s Princes Street.

Dunn had previously admitted the knife attack and he returned to the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on Tuesday.

Sheriff Alistair Noble jailed Dunn for 20 months and told him he will be supervised for a further 10 months following his release.

The court heard Mr Moreno was on a morning cycle along the canal when he encountered Dunn at around 9.55am on October 10 last year.

He was approaching a bridge near to Murrayburn Road when he saw Dunn sitting on the ground.

Prosecutor Jennifer McLaren said: “At the middle of the bridge Mr Dunn jumped up and lunged at Mr Moreno and at this time Mr Moreno observed he had a knife in his hand.

“Mr Dunn attempted to strike towards Mr Dunn’s stomach.

“Before the blade could strike Mr Moreno grabbed the blade with both hands.

“Both men were holding onto the knife and a struggle ensued between them for around one minute.

“During this Mr Dunn was snapping his teeth in an attempt to to bite Mr Moreno on the face.”

The court heard the cyclist suffered injuries to his hands but had managed to take hold of the knife and threw it to safety into a nearby bush.

Mr Moreno was seen to be shouting for help and a passing jogger came to his aid resulting in Dunn fleeing the area.

The fiscal said Dunn then emailed police at around 2.40pm that day stating he had “mental health issues” and that he suffered from “delusions and hallucinations”.

Dunn said he had attempted to get help by “phoning 101 multiple times” in a bid to get help but claims he was “ignored”.

During the email contact he said if he failed to get treatment he would “go on a mass spree”.

He was eventually picked up by police at Princes Street and when searched it was found he was carrying a pair of scissors in a bag.

Dunn admitted to assaulting Mr Moreno by repeatedly attempting to strike him with a knife, attempting to bite him on the face, and to possessing a pair of scissors, all on October 10 last year.

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