Teenager jailed for kicking death

Last updated at 11:11 GMT, Monday, 23 November 2009

A teenager who admitted murdering a man in a violent drunken attack in an Aberdeen street has been given a life sentence.

Thomas Main was just 17 when he kicked 43-year-old Michael Wood "like a ball". The distinctive pattern of his shoes imprinted on his victim.

Mr Wood died after being attacked on Balnagask Terrace on Tuesday 9 June.

Judge Lord Bracadale said Main, now aged 18, must serve at least 13 years before he can apply for parole.

Passing sentence at the High Court in Livingston, Lord Bracadale told Main that the "unprovoked attack" was carried out "in a public place on a man who was a stranger to you".

"Mr Wood was an older man who was drunk and not offering any aggression towards you", the judge added.

'Helpless individual'

"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."

Advocate depute Derick Nelson, prosecuting, had told a previous hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh how father-of-two Mr Wood had split from his wife, had an alcohol problem, and had been on a binge with friends.

Meanwhile Main - who had five previous convictions for violence - was said to have been "hyper" after drinking whisky and vodka.

Mr Nelson said Main began punching Mr Wood in the face. The prosecutor described how Main grabbed the older man in a headlock and during the struggle they both fell down stairs.

Main fell on top of the unconscious Mr Wood, breaking his fall.

Mr Nelson said: "Almost as soon as the accused got to his feet again he started kicking and stamping on Mr Wood's head.

"Witnesses give varying accounts of how many times he did so.

"As the accused was stamping on Mr Wood's head one witness heard what he described as a 'big snap'. However the accused continued stamping."

Mr Wood was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the attack but efforts to revive him failed.

Mr Nelson said of the post mortem examination findings: "The whole of his face was fragmented and only the jaw bone remained intact."

Police later saw three youths who fitted the description of possible suspects.

Main initially denied any involvement, but later admitted punching Mr Wood and kicking him "like kicking a ball".

He said he did not mean to kill his victim.