Teenager stabbed man after 'Harry Potter' jibe

A teenager has admitted repeatedly stabbing a man who called him "Harry Potter" during an early morning argument at a bus stop in Edinburgh.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked Liam McKechnie, 22, on Princes Street in March last year.

Mr McKechnie was taken to hospital where he had emergency surgery to remove his spleen after the altercation, in which he made fun of the attacker's dark-rimmed spectacles.

The teenager plead guilty to a single charge of striking Mr McKechnie on his body to "severe injury, permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life".

Edinburgh's High Court heard how Mr McKechnie had been on a night out with friends before becoming involved in a verbal argument with the 17-year-old at about 00:45 on 17 March .

The court heard that investigators were not able to establish what triggered the argument, but that Mr McKechnie had told the teenager: "Calm down Harry Potter".

The teenager then produced a knife from his pocket and stabbed Mr McKechnie in the torso.

A pair of dark-rimmed spectacles were said to have fallen to the floor.

Others waiting at the bus stop attempted to break up the altercation when Mr McKechnie realised he had been stabbed.

He managed to walk a short distance away from the bus stop but was stabbed again by the teenager, suffering two further injuries to his torso.

An ambulance arrived a short time later to take Mr McKechnie to hospital, where surgeons removed his spleen.

Prosecutor Margaret Barron told the court: "His injuries were of a severe nature and without the appropriate surgical intervention his life would have been at risk."

The teenager ran off in the direction of Market Street after the attack. He was arrested by police three days later.

Judge Lord Cubie continued the first offender's bail and ordered a criminal justice social work report to be made available to the court.

Lord Cubie told him: "The nature of your crime to which you have been convicted of make it almost inevitable that you will receive a sentence of detention."

The teenager will be sentenced on 1 April.