Former pupil of elite school admits stabbing 14-year-old in mass brawl

The 14-year-old victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left with a collapsed lung after being attacked by former Kelvinside Academy pupil Emerson Mitchell.

Mitchell and his friends Maxwell Devlin and Conner O'Neill, all aged 16, punched and kicked the boy to the ground.

Mitchell - the son of wealthy businessman and amusement arcades owner Bradley Mitchell - then plunged the screwdriver into his victim's back.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard yesterday that they were part of a group of 40 teenagers - two gangs of about 20 - who had gathered at Hughenden Lane in Glasgow's West End in March last year.

Mitchell, of Hughenden Road, Glasgow, admitted assaulting the boy by punching and kicking him and repeatedly stabbing him with a screwdriver on 20 March last year.

Devlin, of Hughenden Lane, and O'Neill, of Princes Terrace, Glasgow, admitted punching and kicking the schoolboy.

Devlin was also caught with a claw hammer in his pocket when police arrived at the area after being called by horrified residents.

Prosecutor George Macleod told the court that there were two main groups of youths who were from the local area.

Mr Macleod said: "Words had been exchanged between some of the individuals present at that time, and the accused Devlin ran towards the complainer and commenced an assault on him.

"He was punching and kicking him and then Mitchell and O'Neill also joined in that assault, and thereafter the complainer was repeatedly punched and kicked on the head and body.

"Mitchell had a screwdriver in his possession and while the complainer was on the ground, he repeatedly struck him on the body with the screwdriver."

The court heard that once the attack came to an end, Mitchell left the scene with others from the group, bragging that he had stabbed someone.

Mr Macleod said: "The activity that was going on had caught the attention of a number of individuals, and the police were contacted in relation to a large-scale disturbance in the area.

"On arriving, officers found the complainer and made further inquiries about his attackers. They also summoned an ambulance, which took the complainer to the Western Infirmary in Glasgow."The victim was treated for seven stab wounds and bruising, and also had to have a chest drain fitted to treat a collapsed lung.

Mitchell and Devlin were found just a short distance away and were both detained by police.

When officers asked them if they had any weapons on them, Devlin replied that he had a hammer and a claw hammer was found in his pocket.

They were both then taken to Stewart Street police office.

O'Neill was detained the following day.

The court heard that Mitchell had now left Kelvinside Academy to become an apprentice mechanic.

He was a former pupil at the time of the attack, having left the school in 2008.

His father, Bradley Mitchell, owns a number of businesses including Mitchells Amusements.

Sheriff Charles McFarlane, QC, deferred sentence until next month for background reports and released all three on bail.