Racist duo attacked Ghanaian ‘like hyenas’ and left stabbed victim in Livingston’s bid to kill

[ad_1]

A racist who attempted to murder a Ghanaian in an unprovoked attack on a complete stranger could face a life sentence.

A judge said he had no doubt that Stephen McHarg was “an extremely dangerous man” who will kill someone unless he changes his ways.

The 27-year-old and his young accomplice, Liam McKee, 21, were described as acting “like hyenas” as they subjected their victim to horrific violence.

The man, from the West African nation, was driving through the Knightsridge area of ​​Livingston, West Lothian, where he lived with his family, when the pair launched their attack on him.

He was repeatedly stabbed in the head and body with a knife, chased, and repeatedly punched and kicked until he was on the ground.

The assailants then repeatedly stomped on him and hit him with pieces of wood and glass bottles, knocking him unconscious.

The couple earlier admitted assaulting him for his serious injury, permanent disfigurement and danger to his life in the racially aggravated attempted murder on October 13, 2021 at Erskine Way and Logan Way.

An Edinburgh High Court judge has ordered that a full risk assessment report be prepared on McHarg, which may lead to the imposition of a lifetime restraining order on the offender.

Under an OLR, a court sets the minimum sentence an offender must serve, but any future release from the indefinite sentence is in the hands of the parole authorities.

Lord Fairley imprisoned McKee for seven years for his role in the attempted murder.

The judge told him that if he had been convicted after a trial, he would have faced a sentence of nine years in prison, including 18 months for racial aggravation.

The judge told McKee that an eyewitness who saw the attack described him and his co-defendant as being “like hyenas”.

He said the severity of the assault, which was horrific in itself, was heightened by the fact that it was racially motivated.

The victim told police the attack was so violent that she believed his attackers were trying to kill him. McHarg then made a series of outbursts at the officers, including how he “did that n*****”.

Passers-by called 999 to report the victim’s assault and a woman said: “He is on the floor, unconscious. I think they kill him. He really is going to die. »

The victim was found in a garden covered in blood. He was taken to hospital with stab wounds to the head and body, including a penetrating stab wound to the chest, bruises to the brain and fractures to his face.

McHarg was found in a nearby house and attempted to flee from police. He said he “severely assaulted a guy”.

He said: “I stabbed that n*****. I was coming back to kill him.

McHarg said: “I went around three times to cut him like a roadmap. You won’t be able to sew his face back on.

The court heard the victim was talking on the phone through an earpiece when McKee yelled at him and pulled up his sweater to reveal a large knife.

As the assailants approached him, they were heard discussing “who was going to do it”. McKee was heard yelling, “You shouldn’t even be here. You should go home because it’s mine.

Defense attorney Iain McSporran KC, for McHarg, said it was “an extremely serious crime of violence”.

Lord Fairley said: “There is no doubt in my mind that Mr McHarg is an extremely dangerous man who will kill someone if he does not change his ways.”

Mr McSporran said: “He really understands how dangerous he can be. He sincerely wants to solve this problem.

Defense attorney James Mulgrew, for McKee, said he had no history of violent offenses and expressed remorse and shame for the offence.

He asked the judge to consider McKee’s status as a young offender in sentencing him and said he had used alcohol and drugs following the death of a friend.

Sentencing was deferred on McHarg until April 6 at Glasgow High Court.

[ad_2]