Teenager referred to High Court for slashing sentence

Published on Friday 18 July 2008 13:11

A VIOLENT teenage prisoner who was caught on CCTV slashing a fellow inmate's face with a razor blade has had his case remitted to the High Court for sentencing.

Darren Cornelius, 18, branded Scotland's most dangerous teenager, admitted the vicious attack which left his victim permanently scarred, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this week.

Today, a sheriff said that in view of Cornelius' record and the gravity of the offence, the five-year maximum sentence he could pass was not enough, and referred him to the higher court where judges have unlimited sentencing power.

Cornelius is already subject to a life-long restriction of liberty order, which means he will remain in custody until deemed safe for release.

The attack followed an argument between the pair the day before, for which Cornelius had already apologised. His solicitor Victoria Good said he had been subjected to taunts and name-calling by other inmates following newspaper articles and hit out.

Cornelius is currently in Polmont Young Offenders Institute for punching and stabbing a man in Edinburgh, having begun his criminal career at the age of 11.