Bodybuilder '˜high on steroids' slashes man he found in wife's bedroom

A JEALOUS Scottish bodybuilder high on steroids who burst into his estranged wife's house at midnight with a knife and slashed a Welshman he found in her bedroom was jailed for 20 months today.
The incident happened in West Lothian Falkirk Sheriff Court heard.The incident happened in West Lothian Falkirk Sheriff Court heard.
The incident happened in West Lothian Falkirk Sheriff Court heard.

Join our Facebook group Our Edinburgh to share images and news from and around the Capital

Leigh Barkham, 36, was told by a sheriff: “This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A court heard that Barkham’s victim, who was left permanently scared, escaped in bare feet, but being hundreds of miles from home he had no idea where he was.

Pouring with blood he tried unsuccessfully to flag down cars before finally phoning a workmate who found him and took him to hospital.

The incident happened while Jason Kelly, 32, a paint-sprayer from Newport, Monmouthshire, said to travel all over the UK on contract work, was in Bo’ness, West Lothian.

In the bar of the town’s Richmond Park Hotel, where he was staying, he met Barkham’s wife Angie, who had gone to the venue with her sister and brother-in-law for a drink.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that Angie and Barkham, married for 16 years, had separated a few months earlier but “had continued to have a sexual relationship”.

Angie and Mr Kelly “began chatting to each other”, and then Angie “invited Mr Kelly back to her home address in Clydesdale Street, Bo’ness”.

The court was told that “on arrival they went directly into the bedroom”.

About 11:50pm Angie’s mobile began ringing, and she noticed she had nine missed calls from Barkham

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thinking it might be an urgent matter concerning their daughter, she rang him back, but he immediately started asking what she was doing and who she was with.

Minutes later he rang again and accused her, “you’re with somebody”, and almost immediately she heard banging on her bedroom window, and then her front door,

She warned Mr Kelly to hide in her wardrobe, and then opened the front door, still concerned about their daughter.

Samantha Brown, the depute fiscal, said Barkham “pushed past her into the house and went straight into the bedroom”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Kelly, who was sitting on the end of the bed, saw a knife, and put his arms up to defend himself. He then felt what he thought was a punch.

He escaped into the street in his bare feet, “trying to orientate himself”.

He tried unsuccessfully to flag down several cars without success, before realising he was bleeding heavily.

He took off his T-shirt to try to staunch the blood, and phoned a work colleague, who managed to find him and take him to hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Doctors found he had a “significant facial slash above the left jaw line, consistent with a knife injury”.

Ms Brown said he had been left with a “substantial scar”, suffered flashbacks, and was now fearful of going into pubs.

After the incident Angie called her brother-in-law, who went straight to her house, while Barkham made yet another phone call, this time telling his estranged wife, “You have broken my heart”.

Police found “a trail of blood leading from the property” and arrested Barkham at his home, five minutes walk away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barkham, of Bo’ness, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Kelly to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

The incident occurred on June 2nd (2017).

Defence solicitor Frazer McCready said: “On the evening in question he had taken alcohol, and at the time he was taking steroids for body-building.

“He was regularly attending at the gym.

“He discovered his wife had a man in the house.

“He accepts the red mist came down -- he was extremely jealous.”

Mr McCready said after the incident Barkham “realised he had a difficulty”.

He said: “He has remained away from alcohol and steroids.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Imposing the 20 month jail term, Sheriff John Mundy told Barkham: “To go into somebody’s house with a knife and assault someone with it, striking him in the face with it to his permanent disfigurement, will not be tolerated.”