A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to life imprisonment after fatally stabbing a man in Edinburgh just months after carrying out another serious knife attack while already known to police.
The teenager, who cannot be identified due to his age, murdered 22-year-old John McNab outside a block of flats in Edinburgh in September 2025. The court heard that the killing took place while he was on bail for a separate violent assault committed earlier that year.
In March 2025, the teenager attacked a 16-year-old boy in the Portobello area of Edinburgh, slashing him across the back with a knife and causing serious injuries.
Despite being granted bail following that incident, he went on to carry out the fatal attack on McNab six months later.
The teenager pleaded guilty to murder and assault causing severe injury during proceedings at the High Court in Edinburgh. On Thursday, judges at the High Court in Dundee sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that he serve a minimum of 17 years before becoming eligible for parole consideration.
Prosecutors said the case highlights the devastating consequences of knife crime, particularly among young people.
Laura Buchan, Legal Director at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said Scotland continues to witness tragic cases involving young people carrying knives, leading to loss of life, shattered families and communities living in fear.
She noted that while the teenager now faces years behind bars and a permanent criminal record, the punishment cannot compare to the lifelong pain experienced by John McNab’s family.
Buchan also urged young people to understand the severe consequences of carrying bladed weapons, stressing that a single decision can permanently alter multiple lives.
The case has reignited concerns about knife crime in Scotland and raised questions about offenders committing serious violent crimes while on bail. Authorities hope the conviction sends a strong warning about the dangers and consequences of carrying and using knives.
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