Man admits attempting to murder soldier in Edinburgh

A man has admitted attempting to murder a soldier in Edinburgh after finding him in his sister's bedroom.

Dylan Rigby, 20, pleaded guilty on Thursday to attacking Cobhan McLelland, 18, over two hours at a flat in Kidlaw Close, Gracemount in March.

Rigby barricaded Mr McLelland in the flat and held him hostage.

He poured boiling water on him, slashed at him with a bottle and knife and stamped on his head, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Prosecutor Stephanie Ross told the court he also put scissors in Mr McLelland's mouth, threatening to cut off his tongue, as well as terrorising him by making threats to rape and kill him, before armed police arrived at the property.

Kicked and stamped on

Advocate depute Stephanie Ross said Rigby's sister, Rebecca, lived at the flat where the assault took place and at the time she had recently started seeing Mr McLelland, who was a serving soldier based at Dreghorn barracks.

She said: "He was unknown to her brother until this incident."

The prosecutor said the sister briefly attended a party before returning to the flat and Mr McLelland arrived there in the early hours of the morning after drinking with friends.

Rigby also turned up at the flat with a friend after being at a party and burst into a bedroom where his sister and Mr McLelland were.

She said they initially shook hands but Rigby became increasingly agitated and launched an attack on the soldier who was thrown to the floor and repeatedly kicked and stamped on. He then began to strike him over the head with a chair.

His sister was shouting at him to stop what he was doing, but Rigby ignored her. She and a friend of Rigby ran from the flat and as they left the door was locked behind them. Fearing for the safety of Mr McLelland she contacted the police.

Mr McLelland suffered fractures, cuts and burns to his back and left shoulder and had extensive treatment before being discharged from hospital on 30 March.

'Deplorable levels of violence'

The court heard the teenage soldier is still unable to undertake full military duties.

The charge states the attack was to Mr McLelland's "severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of his life", and that Rigby "did attempt to murder him".

Defence solicitor advocate Richard Soutar reserved his plea in mitigation until a further hearing.

The judge, Lady Carmichael, said she would need a background report on Rigby before sentencing as he was under 21 and adjourned the case until 28 October.

He was remanded in custody.

Det Insp Jonny Wright, of Police Scotland, said: "This was a significant crime involving deplorable levels of violence committed by Rigby.

"Thankfully, incidents of these nature do not happen often in Edinburgh. My thoughts continue to be with the victim in the case.

"Rigby will now face justice for his actions, which will hopefully contribute to bringing some closure to the victim."