Harrison Keaney jailed for murder attempt after stabbing man in Glasgow

Published

2 years ago

October 13, 2023

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A London man who travelled to Glasgow for his sister’s wedding was left pleading for his life after being repeatedly stabbed by a stranger who was out celebrating the end of their bail curfew.

Harrison Keaney, 18, has now been jailed for five years and three months for the murder attempt on Mergim Thaqi.

The 23-year-old victim collapsed during the vicious assault and was heard to say: “Please don’t let me die.”

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, Judge Lady Drummond told Keaney: “Your victim describes in his statement how deeply your actions have affected him.

“He has suffered and continues to suffer physically and mentally.

“He has been left with significant scarring, pain and mental suffering as a result of your actions.

“Your behaviour shows that you are prepared to engage in extreme violence, to violently attack another using a weapon.”

What happened?

The attack happened on 19 November 2022 in Glasgow’s Argyle Street.

The court heard that Mr Thaqi had left the wedding venue with a cousin, while Keaney was out celebrating the end of a bail curfew with friends.

Words were exchanged between the two groups and Keaney was said to have pounced after Mr Thaqi punched one of his friends.

One of the wounds sustained by the victim narrowly missed his aorta – the largest artery in the body that carries blood away from the heart to the circulatory system.

Keaney admitted assaulting Mr Thaqi to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life, and attempting to murder him by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife.

Age allows attacker lighter sentence

Lady Drummond noted the teenager had been on two bail orders at the time of the offence and had a previous conviction for assault with a knife.

The judge said: “Your record of offending demonstrates escalating violence.

“This offence caused serious harm, and had the potential to endanger life.”

She told Keaney that had he been “more mature” at the time of the attack, he would have been facing nine years in jail.

New guidelines for sentencing under-25s came into effect in Scotland in January 2022.

The Scottish Sentencing Council recommended a more “individualistic approach” to take account of the perpetrator’s life experiences.

The changes were made to help reduce reoffending by focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

As Keaney was 18 at the time of the attack, the judge said she would limit the starting point of her sentence to seven years in jail, which was then reduced further due to his early guilty plea.

Keaney will also be supervised for a further two years on his release from prison.

If he breaches any conditions of his licence, he can be sent back to jail.

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Lady Drummond noted: “You appear to show genuine remorse for your violent conduct and insight into the impact of your actions.”

Defence counsel Callum Hiller said Keaney had already taken part in courses while detained, adding: “He has shown an appropriate level of insight now into the impact and consequences of his actions.”

Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

Published

21 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two children in Stafford.

Police were called to a home on Corporation Street at around 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.”

The 43-year-old woman, who is from the Stafford area, remains in custody.

The force has not confirmed the ages of the two children. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, police said.

Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

Published

22 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family.

Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, was arrested last Monday, but it was only made public on Sunday.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, the Met Police said.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June and October.

Sir Ed, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, their 17-year-old son John, and his younger sister Ellie.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.

“He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.

“He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.”

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Published

1 day ago

October 12, 2025

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Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.

Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term for multiple sexual offences, including serious crimes against young children and babies at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.

He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after prison staff reported the assault to police.

The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources added.

A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate.

Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.

He was sentenced in December 2013 to 29 years in prison, with a further six years on licence, after admitting 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.

He also encouraged a second fan to abuse her child during a webcam chat and secretly stashed child sexual abuse videos, some of which he had made himself.

At the time, police described him as a “committed, organised paedophile”.

Having found fame in Welsh rock band Lostprophets, Watkins was arrested after his Pontypridd home was searched on orders of a drug warrant in September 2012.

A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized during the search.

When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.

After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.