Teenager (16) sent back to institution

Nov 11 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A PERTH teenager who sparked a horrific homophobic attack on a gay council worker in a local park has been recalled to a Young Offenders’ Institution.

The youth, now aged 16, was given a 12-month sentence at Edinburgh High Court last November.

He was subsequently released on licence on May 12 this year with a condition that he stay out of further trouble.

But he has now been charged in connection with an alleged attack on another man in Perth city centre. He denied the charge and will face trial next February.

He has now been recalled to detention – but his spell behind bars will be short-lived as he is set to be released tomorrow.

The teenager, who was aged just 15 at the time, originally faced a murder charge when he appeared at Perth High Court last October.

But the Crown accepted a guilty plea to a much reduced charge of assault part-way through the trial. Sentence was then deferred to Edinburgh High Court.

It was accepted that the teenager had punched 51-year-old Jim Kerr on the face, tripped him up and knocked him to the ground.

But his two accomplices then launched a savage attack on Mr Kerr, leaving him dying in a pool of blood on the South Inch in the early hours of April 22, 2007.

Shortly after the assault, the 15-year-old was heard to shout that the victim was “gay” and that he “hated poofters”.

David Meehan (19), of Glenartney Terrace, Perth, was jailed for life after he pled guilty to a charge of murder.

Lord Macphail ordered that he serve a minimum of 16 years for the “callous and brutal” attack.

Martin Soutar (21), of Darnhall Drive, was given a nine-year jail term after he pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Mr Kerr and then rifling through his pockets.

He will be kept under supervision for three years after release.

Passing sentence at Edinburgh High Court, Lord Macphail told the youth his actions had been homophobic and unprovoked – and that he had approved of his friends’ brutal killing.

He added: “You are only 15. However, you committed an unprovoked and homophobic assault upon a man who had not molested you and was not presenting any danger to you.”