Boy detained for murdering woman with 'Rambo' knife

A teenager who murdered a woman in Edinburgh after an apparent row over an e-scooter has been detained for a minimum of 18 years.

The boy, who was 16 at the time, repeatedly stabbed Danielle Davidson, 33, with a Rambo-style knife in Constitution Street, Leith in May last year.

The attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow for what a judge described as an "appalling and cowardly" attack committed under the influence of drugs.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to murder last month after footage of the crime was played in court.

On Tuesday it emerged that he had previously been charged with possession of a knife aged just 11.

The Home Office has accepted that the boy was later "the victim of modern slavery within the UK", involved in drug dealing and other crime from a young age.

Prosecutor John McElroy KC said Ms Davidson had arranged to meet the boy with her friend Conlan Carr.

He told the court: "It is understood there was a recent history of antagonism between Carr and the accused."

The masked boy and a friend arrived on e-scooters, and the boy's father also arrived after getting a call from his son.

The father initially got into an argument with Mr Carr, who was said to have been armed.

The unnamed teenager then took "a large knife" from the waistband of his trousers and brandished it at Mr Carr.

"During the course of this argument, Carr seemed to be attempting to take the accused's scooter," said Mr McElroy.

The teenager's father tried unsuccessfully to calm matters before his son turned the knife on Ms Davidson.

The prosecutor told the court: "She was heard to shout 'I have been stabbed' before collapsing on the tram track."

The row about the scooter briefly continued before the boy fled to a nearby Tesco supermarket.

He changed clothes in the closed women's toilet then took a taxi to another location in Edinburgh.

He phoned his aunt and uncle who picked him up and alerted police.

The advocate depute said: "During this time in their company, the accused made admissions to them such as 'I have done the crime, so I will do the time'.

"He told his relatives that people had pulled knives on him so he had to defend himself.

"He explained to his uncle that the weapon he had was a big 'Rambo' knife.

"He said that he just started stabbing and that it was a 'stab or be stabbed' situation."

Ms Davidson was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, but died of her injuries after a blow punctured a lung.

The court heard last month how the teenager initially believed he had been "set up" to be attacked that night.

But there was no evidence to suggest Ms Davidson was involved in this or aware there would be any assault on the boy.

Iain McSporran KC, defending, said the mother had "lost her life in an utterly senseless attack".

He added: "She was an entirely innocent victim in this dreadful crime."

The court heard how the teenager had faced a number of charges throughout the years including fire-raising, drugs, serious assault and vandalism.

These had all been referred to the children's reporter to be dealt with.

He had been made subject of a compulsory supervision order eight days before the murder.

Judge Lord Arthurson told the teenager: "This was an appalling and cowardly attack on a vulnerable and defenceless young mother in a public street in broad daylight in full public view of witnesses.

"You, having inflicted devastating wounds on the victim, sought to escape leaving her dying on the roadway.

"She was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time - in close proximity to you while you were intoxicated by drugs and armed with a large, lethal bladed weapon."

Lord Arthurson ordered him to be detained in a secure unit without limit of time.