Teenager murdered man while on bail for earlier knife attack

A teenager has admitted murdering a man with a hunting knife in Edinburgh as he begged for his life - while on bail for slashing a teenager months before.

The 17-year-old chased and killed John McNab, 22, in an unprovoked attack on Great Junction Street in Leith on 2 September last year.

The fatal stabbing came four months after the youth was released on bail having been charged with a knife attack on a 16-year-old boy at Portobello Beach.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, pleaded guilty to both attacks and will receive an automatic life term when he is sentenced next month.

In CCTV footage shown to the High Court in Edinburgh, McNab could be heard begging for his life before the youth - who was 16 at the time - repeatedly stabbed him.

Some of the victim's friends and family - many of them were wearing T Shirts in memory of the victim - had to leave the courtroom during the harrowing footage.

McNab pleaded with his attacker before the murder, saying: "Please, please don't. I haven't done anything," the court heard.

The court heard the killer messaged a friend and said: "Ran after him on the middle of Junction Street wi a big Rambo, he fell to the groon and I started stabbing."

The teenager had carried out an earlier attack with a knife on 21 March last year at Portobello promenade when he chased and wounded a 16-year-old boy.

He was arrested but was released on bail after appearing at the city's Sheriff Court on 25 April.

Advocate depute Michelle Brannagan said that before the murder McNab was socialising with friends and during the evening a meeting was arranged for the youth to buy cannabis from a friend of McNab.

The teenager turned up at the meeting wearing a balaclava, covering his face.

He produced cash to buy the drugs but a disagreement arose and one of McNab's friends ripped up the notes and slapped him. He was also punched on the face.

The prosecutor said: "John McNab played no part in the exchange."

After the disagreement, the group felt threatened and ran to a flat where they locked the door, but when they looked out they saw the accused standing outside.

The youth remained near the flat and at one stage smashed a window.

He then hid among bushes and remained there until McNab left the flat.

When the victim came out to the street he emerged from the bushes, still with his face covered with a balaclava and ran towards him.

McNab tried to run off when he saw the armed teenager, who pursued him until he stopped and pleaded with him.

The teenager told him to shut up, before McNab fell beside a traffic island in the street.

A witness told the court they saw McNab lying on the ground near the pedestrian crossing while a person dressed in black, their hood up, lunged down towards the him as though they were punching the left side of his abdomen.

The attacker then ran off and McNab managed to briefly get to his feet, and his friends found him on the road.

He was bleeding from a wound to his stomach and was heard saying: "Help me, help me, I'm dying."

An ambulance crew arrived and found he had sustained four stab wounds - three to his left thigh and one to his abdomen.

The prosecutor said: "John McNab went into cardiac arrest. Advanced life support measures were carried out, with efforts continuing for some 40 minutes, unfortunately without success."

Police later recovered a hunting knife with McNab's blood on the 20 cm (8in) long blade and DNA from the teenage killer on the handle.

A post-mortem examination revealed that a wound to the victim's abdomen had damaged a large artery and vein, resulting in fatal bleeding.

The court heard the teenager was seen by a psychiatrist who diagnosed him as having autism spectrum disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

The judge, Lord Harrower, deferred sentence on the youth for the preparation of a report until next month at the High Court in Dundee, and he will be detained in a secure unit until then.

The judge said he will consider a motion by the BBC to lift reporting restrictions on the identification of the youth at that stage.

Since her son was murdered, the victim's mother Lisa Petrie has been campaigning for tighter security around the sale of knives.

She wants knives removed from shelves and placed in locked cabinets behind shop counters to eliminate the risk of theft.

The 44-year-old care support worker, previously told BBC Scotland, she was campaigning for change on behalf of her son.

"I need to do it for John," she said.

"John has given me the strength to keep going, and if I can make change for him, I've got to keep going."

Speaking outside Fettes Police Station following the verdict, Petrie said: "My son's life was taken far too soon in a horrible way, and the pain of his absence will never be healed. No sentence, no ruling will bring him back.

"I have lost my best friend, my beautiful baby boy. However, in his memory, we are still committed to making a difference."

The knife crime campaigner said she would continue to fight for change and that no one should be able to easily purchase the tools that can destroy lives and families.

She said: "The tragic loss of my son caused by such an easily accessible weapon is a constant reminder of the dangers that come from this unchecked availability.

"I will continue to fight for change, not just for my John, but for the safety of every family."

Petrie has already taken her campaign into Edinburgh's city chambers, where she won a standing ovation from councillors.

She has also addressed hundreds of pupils at Fettes College, where she used to work as a cleaner.

More than 53,000 people have signed her petition calling for tighter security around knife sales.

She has also distributed 37 bleeding control kits around Edinburgh - emergency medical packs which can be used to treat severe bleeding.