West Lothian man jailed for nine years after attack left victim brain-damaged

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A thug who left a man brain-damaged after a horror attack has been jailed for nine years. Ryan McKinnon, 30, brutally turned on Gary McLernon outside the victim’s home in Whitburn in the early hours of last September 21.

McKinnon - who had 46 previous convictions - had been freed just months earlier for another violent crime when he struck. Mr McLernon remains badly affected and was only discharged from a rehab service earlier this year.

McKinnon was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier admitted to an attempted murder charge. Lord Armstrong cut the jail term from 12 years due to the guilty plea.

The judge told McKinnon: “I have carefully noted the terms of the victim impact statement. They make clear that your actions have had a devastating impact on Gary McLernon’s life.” Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel earlier told how a neighbour was wakened by noise around 3.30am on the morning of the attack.