Ayrshire street turned into bloodbath as youths clash

Feb 26 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A STREET was turned into a horrific bloodbath when a group of youths clashed and set about each other with knives.

Dad-of-one Craig Boyle, 20, stabbed two young men before he was also brutally attacked and ran over with a car.

The thug was jailed for 40 months this week.

And Boyle’s alleged attackers could also be put behind bars when they appear at the High Court later this year.

Boyle – who has 13 previous convictions for violence – was originally charged with attempted murder for stabbing John McLeod and Rhys Merry.

But he later admitted two charges of assault to severe injury in Ayr’s Princes Court on April 18 last year.

Ayr Sheriff Court was told that McLeod, Merry and several other youths headed into the White City area of Ayr at around midnight.

Boyle appeared and exchanged words with the boys before heading into a flat in Princes Court.

He went into the kitchen and shouted ‘I’m going to kill them’ before emerging with a black handled knife.

The woman in the flat with Boyle tried to calm him down but he went back outside and started waving the knife around at the youths.

Boyle then slammed the knife into McLeod’s chest and stomach.

Initially, the young man thought he’d been punched and only realised what had happened when he heard someone shout: “John’s been stabbed.”

At that point, he noticed the blood pouring out of his body.

Merry tried to pull McLeod away but Boyle turned and shouted: “Do you want stabbed too?”

He then plunged the blade into Merry’s back.

Defence lawyer Peter Lockhart explained that the group of boys quickly overpowered Boyle who was punched, kicked, stabbed, hit with a bottle and ran over with a car twice.

Two individuals – not McLeod or Merry – have since been charged with the attempted murder of Boyle.

Mr Lockhart went on to say: “He accepts that he said ‘I’m going to kill them’ but it was said in the heat of the moment, there was no murderous intent.

“He intended to give them a fright.”

Jailing Boyle for 40 months, Sheriff Jack McGowan said: “I’ve considered this carefully, it’s an extremely serious matter.

“I’m told you nearly died as a result of your injuries.

“Nevertheless you are a dangerous young man.”