Boy who stabbed foster carer detained for seven years

A BOY who stabbed his foster carer to death after he was grounded has been detained for seven years.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked 34-year-old Dawn McKenzie at a flat in Hamilton on 24 June 2011.

Last night, Mrs McKenzie’s mother, Ray Byrne, spoke of her heartbreak following the loss of her daughter.

The 62-year-old received a voicemail from her daughter in which she could be heard shouting “mum” and “help” after being stabbed.

Ms Byrne said: “I was heartbroken. I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. I haven’t been able to say my goodbye to her.

“The day after she died I had to go to a mortuary with her husband Bryan. She was lying there on a slab. I couldn’t touch her. I couldn’t hold her hand. I could only kiss her on her face.

“The police told me I couldn’t touch her because she was evidence. It was horrifying, absolutely sickening.”

The family spoke minutes after seeing judge Lord Pentland jail the boy for seven years.

Mrs McKenzie’s father-in-law, Tom McKenzie, shouted at Lord Pentland as he left the bench to voice his objections at what he considered to be a lenient sentence.

He shouted: “I beg your pardon My Lord. That’s not justice. We lost our lovely girl to a monster.”

Speaking afterwards Mr McKenzie said he and his family would like to meet Lord Pentland to explain to him why they felt the sentence was too lenient.

He added: “We would all like to sit down with him and tell him exactly what kind of impact losing Dawn has had on all our lives. She was such a good person who gave society so much.

“We really don’t think the sentence that was handed out to this boy reflected the gravity of the crime. We are really disappointed and we would like to explain that to Lord Pentland.”

The family also revealed that they are set to meet the Solicitor General, Lesley Thompson QC, in the next few weeks to discuss the case.