Risk Assessment

The BBC carried the following report the other week - on the deranged behaviour of a knife-wielding thug from Inchinnan - Steven Scott.

Now it seems bizarre that someone who had three previous convictions for knife-crimes - could be sentenced to only 64 months in jail for attempted murder - and then be released early on licence.

Not only that but he goes on to commit another four similar offences - leaving his victims badly injured and disfigured.

No wonder people get cynical about the state of our criminal justice system - when repeat and violent offenders like Steven Scott are treated so leniently by the courts.

Rehabilitating offenders is one thing - a proper and noble objective in many ways.

But there comes a time when people should be locked away for a very long time - if the safety of the public is to be properly protected. 

The point of having another risk assessment carried out on this extremely violent and  dangerous young man - is lost on me, I have to say. 

No doubt this exercise was also carried out when Steven Scott was released on licence - which makes you wonder whether our criminal justice system is detached from reality.

Murder bid man Steven Scott admits four knife attacks

A 23-year-old man has admitted carrying out four knife attacks in five days while out on licence from a previous attempted murder sentence.

Steven Scott, from Inchinnan, carried out the assaults in Renfrew and Port Glasgow in March last year.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he also has three other previous convictions involving the use of a knife.

Judge Lord Woolman deferred sentence on Scott, who is in custody, and called for a risk assessment report.

The court heard that Scott was jailed for 64 months in 2007 for attempted murder and was out on licence at the time of the offences.

His first victim, 19-year-old Ryan Keegan, was struck on the head with a knife on 20 March last year in Renfrew.

Scott's second victim was 50-year-old taxi driver Robert Hewitt who was left with a collapsed lung after being struck in the neck by a knife on 22 March in Renfrew.

Victim number three was another taxi driver, 42-year-old Stephen O'Hagan, who was struck on the side of the face with a knife on 23 March in Port Glasgow.

Scott's final victim was 23-year-old Steven Maxwell, who was stabbed on the head and body as he walked along a street in Port Glasgow on 24 March.