A 17 year old youth who killed a defenceless drunken man by stamping on his head was sentenced a life with a minimum of 13 years detention this morning at the High Court in Livingston.

Lord Bracadale sentenced Thomas Main after he pled guilty to the murder of Michael Wood in Aberdeen in June last year. On sentencing Lord Bracadale made the following statement in court:

“You have pled guilty to the murder of Michael Wood. I sentence you, as I am required to do by law, to life imprisonment.

"I am also required to order that you serve a period of years as a punishment part of your sentence. In doing that I have to have regard to the seriousness of the offence and your previous convictions. You, and others, should understand that that does not mean that you will be released at the end of that period. It means that after that period has expired your case can be considered by the Parole Board and they will decide whether, and if so, when you might be released.

"This was an unprovoked attack in a public place on a man who was a stranger to you. Mr. Woods was an older man who was drunk and not offering any aggression towards you. For no apparent reason you forced him down the stairs and while he was lying unconscious at the bottom you repeatedly kicked and stamped him on the head resulting in the whole of his face being smashed in. This was an extremely violent attack on a pretty helpless individual which went on for some time.

You have previous convictions which include convictions for assault, one of which involved the use of a weapon. You were under the influence of drugs and alcohol. These factors are aggravating factors which must increase the length of the punishment part.

"I do take into account your age. I note that no weapon used and that this was not a premeditated murder.  In all the circumstances I consider that the starting point for the punishment part, leaving out of account the stage at which you pled guilty would be 15 years. Because you pled guilty at the preliminary hearing I shall reduce that to a period of 13 years backdated to 9 June 2009”.