Violent attacker stabbed man to death in random attack after being released from prison on licence

Victim: Criag Hepburn was described as a popular young man who was killed in his prime. His funeral was attended by more than 1,000 mourners

A 22-year-old man will serve a life sentence for killing 19-year-old Craig Hepburn in a random attack just three months after he was released from custody.
Luke Elliott and his accomplice Anthony Driver, 37, were jailed today after a court heard that the murderer returned to his victims' body and repeatedly stabbed him.
Elliott was on license for bodily harm and his accomplice Driver had been released from prison seven months before the attack.
Driver has a total of 54 convictions for 128 offences.
The court heard he has a history of drug use and 'violent knife crime'.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Mr Hepburn was walking to his uncle's house from a pub in Marsden, Yorkshire, where he played the bagpipes on the night he was murdered.
Both young men had travelled from their home in Linwood, near Paisley, Renfrewshire on July 6 last year.
Mr Hepburn was with his friend Conor Paten, 18, when Elliott and Driver 'picked a fight' with them, stabbing Mr Hepburn in the back.
Mr Paten was stabbed and injured as he tried to help his friend. The attack was described as frenzied and motiveless.

Mrs Justice Lang today said: 'Conor told how he saw Craig lying on the ground, curled up, protecting his head with his arms.
'When Conor ran back to help his friend, you, Elliott, stabbed him and continued to stab him when he tried to run away.'
'I accept that this was not a pre-meditated attack. It was a random, motiveless attack on a stranger who annoyed you.'

Jailed: Anthony Driver (left) and Luke Elliott (right) have served jail terms for other crimes. Elliott was released from custody three months before he killed Mr Hepburn. Driver's previous offences are said to include knife crimes

Driver was handed a 13-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of Mr Paten.
Elliott, who was also convicted by a jury of the attempted murder of Mr Paten will also serve a 13-year sentence, to run concurrently with his life tariff.
Mrs Justice Lang said the murder was a 'frenzied attack on a defenceless man.'

She told the court that once Elliott had left Mr Paten, he returned to Mr Hepburn and 'assaulted him once more'.
The judge told how Conor had been traumatised by the event, saying: 'Conor thought he was going to die.

CCTV: Craig Hepburn and Conor Paten were attacked as they left a Marsden pub. Mr Paten is said to be traumatised by the attack

'He watched his friend die. He has been traumatised, culminating in an effort to take his own life.'
Sentencing the pair, who did not react as they were jailed, Mrs Justice Lang said: 'You destroyed Craig’s life for no reason when he was in his prime and had his whole life in front of him.
'You have caused indescribable pain to his family, who have sat through this trial with dignity, listening to you telling lie after lie about your horrific attack on their son.'
In a statement read to the court today, Mr Hepburn’s family said they were robbed of seeing their him 'grow into the young man he could have been'.

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