Racist jailed for violent attempted murder in Livingston

A violent racist who wanted to cut a man "like a road map" has been jailed for attempted murder.

Stephen McHarg, 28, and an accomplice attacked Abdul Koroma from Ghana in Livingston, West Lothian, on 13 October 2021.

They stabbed, punched and kicked him before stamping on him and hitting him with glass bottles.

McHarg and co-accused Liam McKee, 22, had earlier pled guilty to attempted murder.

McKee was jailed for seven years for his part in the attack.

The court heard the two attacked the victim as he was walking on Erskine Way and Logan Way.

Mr Koroma was talking on his phone via an earpiece when McKee shouted at him and pulled up his jumper to reveal a large knife.

McKee and McHarg repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a knife and repeatedly punched and kicked him until he was on the ground.

The attackers also repeatedly stamped on him and hit him with glass bottles and pieces of wood, causing him to lose consciousness.

Mr Koroma later told police that the attack was so violent that he believed his assailants were trying to kill him.

The court heard evidence from a 999 call after the attack. The witness could be heard saying: "He is on the ground unconscious. I think they are killing him. He is actually going to die."

Mr Koroma was found in a garden covered in blood.

'I was going to murder him'

He was taken to hospital with knife wounds to his head and body, including a penetrating stab wound to his chest, bruising to his brain and facial fractures.

McHarg was found at a nearby house and tried to run from police. He said he had "seriously assaulted a guy".

He said: "I was going to murder him."

McHarg also said: "I went round three different times to cut him like a road map. You will not be able to stitch his face."

At the High Court in Edinburgh, McHarg was sentenced to nine years in jail.

Judge Lord Fairley ordered that McHarg, who has previous convictions for violence, should be kept under supervision for an additional five years.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC, for McHarg, said it was "an extremely serious crime".

He said the judge was faced with either imposing a lengthy extended sentence on McHarg or an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

But the defence lawyer said that an expert report prepared on him indicated that if he engaged meaningfully with treatment then he could be managed in the community.

He argued it was McHarg's co-accused who was armed with the knife which he used during the attack.