Teenage killers jailed for at least 46 years

Following a trial in Glasgow, 19 year old Andrew Moran was convicted of two counts of murder and Paul Erskine, also 19, was found guilty on one charge of murder and one of culpable homicide.

Today, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Mr Moran was told he must serve at least 24 years in prison while Mr Erskine received a minimum of 22 years having both been given mandatory life sentences.

The court had previously been told that the accused had attacked 65 year old Harry Reekie at his home in Bathgate, West Lothian, repeatedly stabbing him before robbing him of £400 on September 16th 2014.

Mr Reekie died from injuries he had sustained in the attack in January 2015.

In the early hours of the following day, the pair went on to attack 31 year old Steven Mitchell who was stabbed to death at a house not far from that of the first victim.

They were caught having left bloody footprints at the scene of the second murder.

After sentencing, John Dunn, procurator fiscal for the East of Scotland, said: “The fact that there was not one but two homicides, and those in quick succession, speaks volumes of the callous disregard which these two accused have for human life.

“All that is compounded by the fact that they have shown no remorse for their actions and even took time to boast about what they had done.

“It is appropriate that, for the safety of the public, both will now spend many years in prison as a result of their violent behaviour.

“In the meantime our thoughts have to be with the family and friends of the victims who are left to deal with the aftermath of the appalling crimes of the two accused in these cases.”