Reamonn Gormley’s killers jailed for 27 years.

Dec 8 2011 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

JUDGE Lord Dorrian jailed Reamonn Gormley’s killer Daryn Maxwell to 19 years and told him that he had committed the “most serious of offences” and had a “violent disposition”.

Evil Daryn Maxwell (23) pleaded guilty at the High Court in October to murdering the 19-year-old Glasgow University sport science student in a street robbery in Blantyre’s Glasgow Road on February 1.

Accomplice Barry Smith (19) pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Sentencing Maxwell, Lady Dorrian said the murder was a “random and unprovoked attack” on a member of the public for the purpose of committing robbery.

She told the court how Reamonn was struck three times with a knife, one of blows cutting his carotid artery causing him to bleed to death.

She added: “Previous convictions show that your lifestyle is one in which violence is habitual.

“You have been convicted on indictment for assault to severe injury no fewer than three times.

“You had been on interim liberation from the last of these for a matter of only a few weeks.

“The only sentence I can pass is one of life imprisonment but in doing so I must fix the punishment part, which is the period of time which must elapse before you are entitled to have your case remitted to the parole board.

“In doing so, I have taken account of the circumstances of the offence, the fact that you were on bail and your previous record, as well as the factors advanced in mitigation.

“I recognise that you have had a challenging upbringing and that you are sorry for what you have done but this remains a most serious offence, committed by someone with a predisposition to violence.”

Lady Dorrian said Maxwell would have been jailed for 20 years had he not pleaded guilty at an earlier stage.

“There was in my view some residual utility in the plea even although it was tendered at the very last minute and so I will reduce that period to one of 19 years,” she added.

Maxwell’s sentence was back dated to February 7 this year.

Lady Dorrian told the court that Smith had participated in the tragic incident in which Reamonn Gormley was killed and would give him a longer sentence to protect him from the public.

She had acknowledged that Smith had pled guilty to culpable homicide and that Maxwell used the weapon and was responsible for Reamonn’s murder.

She told Smith that he also shared responsibility, albeit, to a lesser degree.

Lady Dorrian said: “As part of the plan to commit robbery you took with you a chisel and along with Maxwell you confronted the deceased and his friend.

“I recognise that you did not directly inflict any violence.

“Your responsibility may lie in a lesser degree, and your previous convictions may be fewer and less serious than those of Maxwell.

“Nevertheless the crime of culpable homicide remains a very serious one.

“You too had been released on bail shortly before this incident, in your case on December 17, 2010.

“I am satisfied from the terms of the SER that in your case an extended sentence for the protection of the public would be appropriate.

“In sentencing you however, I have to reflect that your culpability is not that of your co-accused and that you did not personally inflict any injury.

“Had it not been for the plea the sentence would have been one of nine years detention.

“There was, as I have remarked, a residual utility in the plea, even at the late stage when it was taken.

“In all the circumstances the sentence will be reduced to eight years and three months.

“The extension period will be four years.”

Smith’s sentence was backdated to February 7, 2011.