Published: Thursday, 22nd July, 2010 9:27am

Brave dad slashed

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By Jennifer Black

A DISTRAUGHT four-year-old boy looked on in horror as his brave dad was slashed across the face.

The Johnstone man had challenged a would be thief after spotting him crouching in a local garden.

But the 'have a go hero' was brutally knifed by the thug after he dared to question him.

The man's son witnessed the late-morning attack carried out by sick Alan Cadle.

Devious Cadle was hanging round a caravan in a garden in Alder Place near to where the victim was walking with his son.

When the father approached Cadle to ask what he was doing, he became angry and stormed towards his victim with a knife and a knuckle duster.

The attack saw the dad slashed across the face twice as his young son stood by his side.

The family were walking home through Johnstone Castle before Cadle struck on the morning of March 7.

In court, the accused admitted the assault charge on indictment and pleaded guilty to being in breach of bail conditions previously put in place.

Defence agent Charlie McCusker told the court: "The witness thought he was 'up to no good' at the caravan and there was an exchange of words in which [the victim] told him to beat it."

His lawyer continued to tell the court that his client appreciated he had placed himself in a precarious position by committing the offence.

Cadle, 20, has been held on remand since his arrest in March and his representatives told the court that he understands that he is facing a prison sentence due to the serious nature of the incident.

After studying a background report on the accused, Sheriff George Kavanagh jailed Cadle, of Highcraig Avenue for eighteen months, reduced from twenty four due to his early guilty plea.

The sentenced was also backdated to March.