Jailed gang thug brags: 'I stamped on his head'

A TEENAGE thug jailed for an "animal-like" attack on Spanish tourists on Princes Street boasted about stamping on his victim's head just days before appearing in court.

Police officers described how members of the Edinburgh Young Team had smiled and shown no signs of remorse as they watched a six minute CCTV film of their "disgusting" behaviour.

The video footage showed the terrified Spanish youngsters sprinting for safety as they came under attack from 18-year-old Sean Weir, 16-year-old Steven Davidson and other male and female gang members.

Sheriff Mhairi Stephen yesterday described their behaviour as "semi-feral" as she locked the pair up for five and six months respectively.

But today the Evening News can reveal how just days earlier Weir had boasted about his violence and shrugged off the threat of prison.

In an interview about gang violence, Weir described the attack, which prompted police to pursue Asbos against gang members banning them from the city centre.

"We were hanging out and drinking when my sister came up to me and said one of these Spanish guys had felt her up," he said. "Steven went up to them and bam, he lamped one of them. He can be pretty mental, so he's always fighting.

"Then I went up and laid one of them out with a punch. Then I stamped on his head. I don't normally stamp on a boy when he goes down, but I was angry because of my sister. It was out of order.

"It was about a week later that the police raided my door and arrested me. They had identified us from the CCTV."

Weir, who has tattoos including a swastika tattoo on his arm, told how he had spent five days on remand at Saughton Prison before being released on bail on condition he stay away from Princes Street – a condition he subsequently broke.

"It was my first time in prison but it wasn't that bad," he said. "I've got quite a few mates in there at the moment."

During the interview, Weir and other members of the EYT boasted about fighting other gangs and selling drugs on and around Princes Street.

After being caught by police, Davidson described the incident, which took place at around 11pm on a Friday night in March, as a "mini-riot".

Male gang members punched and chased some of the students, while three teenage girls cornered one victim and beat her as she lay on the ground.

The CCTV footage of the attack on the Spanish tourists, who were aged 16 to 18, was played at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

Davidson, from Newtongrange, Midlothian, admitted two counts of assault and one of breach of the peace, while Weir, of Lochend Avenue, Restalrig, admitted breach of the peace.

At yesterday's hearing, Sheriff Stephen said: "This is a most disgusting example of semi-feral behaviour and, in particular, you Steven Davidson seemed to revel in the role that you were playing in this assault and wanton harassment."

Sentencing Weir, who lives with his mum and pregnant 18-year-old girlfriend, Jackie, Sheriff Stephen added: "Your involvement in the breach of the peace deserves the same comment.

"It was the same aggressive, bad, animal-like behaviour."

The five-month sentence includes two months for ignoring the curfew which had been imposed as a result of the attack.