Hamilton teen thugs admit school knife attack

Aug 7 2008 by Our Correspondent, Hamilton Advertiser

TWO Hamilton teenagers have admitted stabbing a boy at a secondary school in the town.

Lee Ging and Kyle Anderson, both 16, repeatedly knifed the 15-year-old at the former Holy Cross High School last September.

The Muir Street campus has hosted pupils from Rutherglen’s Trinity High School for the past year while a new school is being built.

Ging, of Church Street, and Anderson repeatedly stabbed the boy in the leg near the school gates on Muir Street on September 19.

The teenagers admitted the assault last week in Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Anderson’s not guilty plea to possessing a knife on Muir Street was accepted by depute fiscal Jim Leck.

Anderson’s address was given as Dechmont Street, but he was bailed to another address in Brackenhill Drive.

It is believed that both Ging and Anderson are former pupils at Holy Cross High.

The court heard the pair were engaged in an argument with some pupils in the playground at around 1.45pm.

Their victim walked by as the boys continued to argue.

Anderson then gave Ging a knife, and the duo chased after a number of youngsters.

The 15-year-old ran away but he was stabbed in the leg after he stumbled and fell to the ground.

Pupils watched in horror as the teenager was attacked.

The assailants ran away and the boy made his way to a teacher and told her he thought he had been stabbed.

He was taken to Wishaw General Hospital and treated for a stab wound to his leg.

The boy’s mum, who spoke to the Advertiser at the time, said: “My boy is lucky he is still alive and able to tell us the story.

“He is now okay.

“He is a quiet boy and has never been in any trouble before.

“I got a phone call from a teacher who said that my son had been stabbed. I shouted at the teacher, saying ‘What do you mean, he has been stabbed?’

“At the time, I didn’t know how bad it was and you fear the worst.”

In court last week, Sheriff Danny Scullion deferred the boys’ sentence until next month for reports.

In the meantime, bail for Ging and Anderson were continued.

Trinity High School’s pupils moved into Holy Cross last August and will remain there for the forthcoming school year.

The Muir Street school was made available to Trinty High after Holy Cross pupils went into their new £27m school last August.