Cowardly thugs caged for Cumnock attack

Nov 14 2008

A GANG of armed yobs who descended on Cumnock and attacked two teenagers have been jailed.

One of the victims was knocked unconscious when the Drongan and Auchinleck thugs randomly selected him.

But this week at Ayr Sheriff Court – almost a year to the day since the sickening attacks – 14 young men were put behind bars.

And they were branded “cowards” by a sheriff.

David McKelvie, Lee Nimmo, Thomas Milne, David Lennox, Derek Graham, Scott Caddis, Martin Giraldas, Josh Johnston, Marc Muir, Teejay Little, Darren Nimmo, Shaun Burley, Garry Milligan and three youths under the age of 16 all appeared in the dock to face the consequences of their actions.

McKelvie and Lennox, who didn’t take part in the assaults, were ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service.

They both pleaded guilty to brandishing weapons, forming a disorderly crowd and committing a breach of the peace at The Square, The Tanyard and elsewhere in Cumnock on November 10 last year.

In jailing the other 14 boys, Sheriff John Montgomery condemned the vicious rivalries which exist between neighbouring towns in Ayrshire.

He said: “This started as a pre-planned journey to Cumnock with the purpose of exacting revenge on youths who committed an attack on Drongan youths.

“Some of you were armed with weapons. Unfortunately, this type of thing occurs all too frequently in this jurisdiction. Some of the towns and villages served by this court are blighted by such hostilities borne out of innocent rivalries generations ago, which have turned to hatred over the years. This must be stopped.”

Sheriff Montgomery went on to say that he could see no alternative to jailing the youngsters.

He continued: “The plan took a sinister turn when you found that the rival gang hadn’t turned up.

“Some of you decided to turn your attention to two innocent passers-by who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“These attacks were indiscriminate not to mention cowardly.

“Such are the seriousness of these charges that I have come to the conclusion that those of you who were involved in the attacks cannot be dealt with other than by custodial sentences.”

Scott Caddis, 17, who pleaded guilty to the breach of the peace and both assaults, was jailed for 10 months.

Milne, 17, Muir, 16, Burley, 16, and Giraldas, 17, and one under 16 were all jailed for eight months.

Lee Nimmo, 18, Darren Nimmo, 16, Graham, 17, and Johnston, 16, were jailed for six months.

Milligan, 16, was given four months while Little, 16, and an under 16 were jailed for two months.

Another under 16 was jailed for 80 days.

They all admitted their part in a vile attack on a 19-year-old man who was walking through The Square to get a bus into Ayr, and a further attack on a 15-year-old boy who was at The Tanyard with some friends when he was targeted by the gang.

The horrifying attacks were captured on CCTV and the thugs were identified and arrested in dawn raids four months later.

Both victims had nothing to do with any gang rivalry.

Another 14 teenagers are still to face charges relating to the incident and will appear in court later this year.