A 17-year-old who murdered 22-year-old John McNab in Leith on 2 September has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years after pleading guilty. CCTV shown at court captured Mr McNab begging before being stabbed four times; the assailant had been on bail following an earlier knife incident at Portobello Beach. Mr McNab's mother, Lisa Petrie, has launched a campaign for tighter knife-sale controls and for a review of bail decisions in serious knife cases. The defendant, now diagnosed with autism and PTSD, has been detained without limit of time and can only be released by the parole board.
Teenager Jailed For Life With 17-Year Minimum After Fatal Knife Attack In Leith
John McNab was attacked in Leith last September [Lisa Petrie]
A 17-year-old has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years after pleading guilty to the murder of 22-year-old John McNab. The fatal attack occurred on Great Junction Street in Leith on 2 September last year.
At sentencing at the High Court in Dundee, Lord Harrower described the killing as a "merciless attack" that cut short the life of "a young man with everything to live for" and left "an incalculable void in the lives of his family and friends." The youth cannot be named because of his age.
John's father Johnny McNab, mother Lisa Petrie, his girlfriend Amy Burns and sister Lilly Miller outside the High Court in Dundee [BBC]
CCTV Footage And Sequence Of Events
Prosecutors presented CCTV showing warehouse worker John McNab pleading for his life before the accused stabbed him four times as he lay on the ground. The footage shows Mr McNab trying to run, stumbling at a traffic island, falling and then being repeatedly attacked.
"Imagine how scared he was in that moment. That'll be with me for the rest of my life," said Mr McNab's mother, Lisa Petrie, speaking after viewing the footage.
Court evidence says the incident followed a brief earlier altercation that involved some of Mr McNab's friends and the teenager. The youth had been struck during that earlier incident, followed the group to a nearby flat, shouted threats and waited outside for more than two hours. Mr McNab was not involved in the earlier confrontation.
Lisa Petrie with family and friends outside the High Court in Dundee after sentencing [BBC]
Aftermath, Weapon And Campaign
Prosecutors also showed a photograph of the hunting knife used in the attack; the blade measured around 20cm (8in). Selling such knives to under-18s is illegal, but authorities have not confirmed how the teenager obtained the weapon.
Since her son's death, Lisa Petrie has campaigned for tighter controls on knife sales and for changes to how knives are displayed and packaged in shops. She has also called for a review of bail decisions in serious knife offences, after the youth was released on bail four months earlier on a charge relating to a separate slashing at Portobello Beach.
John McNab was stabbed as he tried to flee his killer on Great Junction Street [BBC]
Legal Response And Defence
A Scottish Government spokesperson expressed condolences to Mr McNab's family and noted that bail decisions are made by independent courts based on individual case circumstances. Mrs Petrie has urged ministers, prosecutors and those involved in bail decisions to review current practice and guidance.
For the defence, Mark Stewart KC told the court the defendant had acknowledged the harm caused to Mr McNab's family and friends. He said the youth had no previous convictions and had handed himself in after both incidents. Stewart also said the teenager had since been diagnosed with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The court ordered the defendant detained without limit of time; he will only be released if the parole board is satisfied it is safe to do so.
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