17‑year‑old sentenced to life for murder of John McNab

A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years for murdering a man with a hunting knife while on bail for a previous knife attack. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, killed 22-year-old John McNab in an unprovoked attack on Great Junction Street in Leith, Edinburgh, on September 2 last year.

The fatal stabbing occurred four months after the teenager was released on bail following a separate incident in March 2025, where he chased and slashed a 16-year-old boy on the promenade at Portobello Beach. He pleaded guilty to both the murder and the earlier assault at a hearing last month.

Sentencing the teenager at the High Court in Dundee on Thursday, Lord Harrower described the killing as a "merciless attack" that had taken the life of a young man with everything to live for, leaving an incalculable void for his family and friends. The court heard detailed evidence of the events leading to McNab's death.

On the night of the murder, McNab was socializing with friends. An arranged meeting for the teenager to buy cannabis from one of McNab's friends escalated into a disagreement, during which the youth was slapped and punched. John...