Teenager stabbed man in Glasgow and left him to die while celebrating end of bail curfew

A teenager who tried to murder a visitor to Glasgow in a knife attack on the stranger has been jailed for five years and three months.

Harrison Keaney repeatedly stabbed the victim who collapsed and was heard to say: “Please don’t let me die”.

The 18-year-old was out with friends in the city celebrating the end of a bail curfew imposed on him when he carried out the attack on a man who had travelled to the city from London to attend the wedding of his sister in November last year.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Keaney that his behaviour showed he was prepared to take part “in extreme violence with the use of a weapon”.

Lady Drummond told the teenager: “Your record of offending demonstrates escalating violence.”

She told Keaney that imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence because of the serious, life-threatening nature of the attack on the victim and his record.

The judge pointed out that he has a previous conviction for assault with a knife.

She told Keaney that if he had been more mature at the time of the attempted murder she would have selected a nine year term of imprisonment as a sentence.

But as he was 18 at the time of the attack she would limit the starting point of her sentence to seven years in jail, which would be reduced following his earlier guilty plea.

The judge also ordered that he should be under supervision for a further two-year period while in the community and warned that if he breached licence conditions during that period he could be returned to jail.

Lady Drummond noted that Keaney appeared to have genuine remorse for his behaviour and insight into his actions.

Keaney, who is currently in custody, previously admitted assaulting the 23-year-old to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life and attempting to murder him by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife on November 19 last year at Argyle Street, in Glasgow.

Keaney had been freed under two separate bail orders granted at Glasgow Sheriff Court at the time of the murder bid.

The court heard that one of the wounds sustained by the victim narrowly missed his aorta – the largest artery in the body.

Ambulance personnel attended and the injured man was taken to hospital for treatment to his wounds.

Defence counsel Callum Hiller said that Keaney has already taken part in courses while detained and added: “He has shown an appropriate level of insight now into the impact and consequences of his actions.”