Teenager jailed for racist knife attack on Syrian refugee in Edinburgh

A teenager who stabbed a Syrian refugee in a racist attack has been given more than eight years in prison.

Sean Gorman attempted to murder 25-year-old Shabaz Ali in an argument about noise at an Edinburgh hostel in the early hours of May 3.

A court heard that 18-year-old Gorman was "hyper'' after downing much of a litre bottle of vodka and taking ecstasy and cocaine prior to the unprovoked attack with a lock-knife.

The teenager was also out on licence from another sentence for a violent attack involving a knife at the time of the offence at the hostel in Upper Gilmore Place.

He later told social workers: "Deep down, I think I did want to stab somebody.''

Gorman, who last month admitted the racially-aggravated murder-bid, returned to the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing on Friday.

Judge Lord Woolman handed him an extended sentence of 11 years and nine months, involving detention for seven years and nine months followed by four years of supervision upon his release from custody.

Gorman was also ordered to begin that sentence when he has finished serving 169 days of the previous sentence from 2017 for assault to severe injury and the danger of life.

The judge told the 18-year-old: "You carried out a frenzied attack on a stranger, Mr Shabaz Ali. You stabbed him six times, five times in the upper chest.

"But you would have been a threat to anyone you came across that night.''

The court heard the wounds sustained by Mr Ali - whose family had fled from Syria to escape persecution - put his life in peril, leaving him needing emergency surgery and intensive care.

"Without the urgent and expert hospital treatment he received, you could have faced a charge of murder,'' Lord Woolman warned the attacker.

The court was told the attack has caused Mr Ali serious physical and psychological harm and has had a profound effect on his family.

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Grainger of Edinburgh Division's CID said: "Gorman used appalling racist language before perpetrating significant violence against the victim, who was left fighting for his life.

"I cannot condemn the circumstances of this case strongly enough. Edinburgh thrives on diversity and Gorman's actions do not in any way reflect the values of our city.

"Significant support has been shown across the capital for the victim and his family, which is far more representative of the strength of inclusivity across our communities.

"We welcome a custodial sentence and our thoughts remain with the victim and his family as they continue to try and move forward with their lives."