Man, 21, jailed for life after murdering teenager in Edinburgh
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Monday for the attack in Dumbiedykes in 2023
Last updated 26th May 2025
A man who stabbed a teenager to death in Edinburgh before hiding the knife in the grounds of Holyrood Palace has been jailed for life.
Bailey Dowling, 21, from London, killed 18-year-old Lewis McCartney in the Dumbiedykes area in 2023.
He was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Dowling had denied murdering McCartney and claimed he acted in self defence after he was hit with a bottle.
He armed himself with a kitchen knife before meeting the victim and his friends in Dumbiedykes.
The court heard how violence then erupted, during which Dowling was struck on the head before he stabbed McCartney in the back.
He claimed he was “dazed and confused” and did not intend to harm the victim.
The court also heard Dowling hid the knife on the grounds of Holyrood Palace, the King’s official residence in Scotland.
He then left Edinburgh for his home in London, where he later handed himself in to the police.
Judge Lord Matthews told Dowling that his victim had “everything to live for” and that his loss has left “an incalculable void in the lives of his family and friends”.
He told the court: "It is clear you came to Edinburgh for what you hoped would be an enjoyable time and so it would have been but for the decisions you made."
The judge added: "Taking a knife into the street is never acceptable."
Co-accused Benjamin Wilson, 20, was convicted of assaulting Dowling by hitting him on the head with a bottle during the same incident.
He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work under a two-year community payback order.