Teenager jailed for school stabbing

David Moroney • Published 17 Mar 2010 14:00

A TEENAGER has been jailed for stabbing a boy outside a school.

Kiaran Murphy, 16, stabbed his teenage victim three times at the gates of Notre Dame High as children left the building for the day.

Peter Coats, 18, and Denis Morgan, 17, had been involved in a fight with the victim when Murphy took out the knife and carried out the attack in Greenock.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard all three had been travelling in a car when they spotted their victim waiting outside the school.

Coats believed the youth had threatened his younger brother. He jumped out of the car and started the attack, before Morgan joined in.

Depute fiscal Peter Galletly said: "The victim was knocked to the ground. Unknown to the other two, Kiaran Murphy had a knife in his possession and when he got out of the car he stabbed the victim three times."

The victim was taken by ambulance to Inverclyde Royal Hospital and was treated for his injuries, which included a stab wound to his chest and wounds to his head and thigh.

Solicitor Ellen MacDonald, representing Murphy, said: "He accepts his guilt in using the knife. He is ashamed and disgusted by his own behaviour."

Murphy pleaded guilty to assaulting the teenager, repeatedly striking him with a knife, or similar instrument to his head and body to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement in Ann Street on 17 November.

Sentencing Murphy, Sheriff Susan Sinclair said: "The whole incident was unnecessary and extremely nasty and it was lucky it was not much worse."

She sentenced Murphy to two years' detention in a Young Offenders' Institute.

Solicitor Gerry Keenan, representing Coats, said his client had acted 'on the spur of the moment' and a verbal exchange degenerated into a physical one.

Aidan Gallagher, representing Morgan, said his client had not triggered the incident, but had become involved.

He said that both his client and Mr Keenan's had played a lesser part in the attack.

Both solicitors argued community service and probation were suitable disposals.

Coats and Morgan both admitted repeatedly punching and kicking the teen on the head and body, knocking him to the ground and stamping on his head.

Sheriff Sinclair said: "The whole incident started due to stupidity on the part of Peter Coats, and Denis Morgan has to take responsibility for becoming involved."

She ordered both to carry out 240 hours of community service and placed them on probation for 18 months.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 17 Mar 10

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