Boy's attack on innocent man

The three accused admitted assaulting their victim

A 15-year-old boy attacked a man wrongly accused of being a paedophile because he had pictures of his own children on a wall.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was ordered to be detained for seven years and kept under observation for a further two years for the attack on Graeme McKenzie.

Fellow accused John Mason, 17 was sentenced to six years' detention and David McDonald, 21, was jailed for two years at the High Court in Edinburgh.

All three were accused of attempting to murder Mr McKenzie in a Glasgow flat, on 30 April.

Lord Hardie sentenced the trio

The judge, Lord Hardie, described the attack as "barbaric", and "a prolonged unprovoked attack on a man in his own home".

He told the 15-year-old, who had previously been sentenced to four years for his part in an armed robbery, that he would have been jailed for life if he had been older.

The court heard that their victim was stabbed and slashed 40 times with a screwdriver and a knife and was left with a punctured lung, smashed cheek bone and broken jaw.

The gang demanded that their 28-year-old victim admit to his "crime", while they attacked him.

The boy, who had used a knife and Mason, who had a screwdriver, admitted charges of assault.

McDonald admitted punching and kicking Mr McKenzie before running from the flat as the stabbing started.

When you saw pictures of his children on the wall, you accused him of being a paedophile

Lord Hardie

The victim spent six days in hospital and may need further facial surgery.

The court heard that the attack happened after false allegations circulated that Mr McKenzie had sex with McDonald's younger sister, who was Mason's girlfriend.

The trio, who had been drinking fortified wine, went to the victim's home and burst in.

They attacked him when they saw pictures of his children on a wall.

The 15-year-old, who had also taken valium was said to have the intellectual ability of a child of nine.

In passing sentence, the judge said: "A prolonged unprovoked attack on a man in his own home.

"The unfortunate victim was accused, falsely, of having intercourse with Mason's girlfriend and thereafter, when you saw pictures of his children on the wall, you accused him of being a paedophile.

"You tried to get him to admit that by stabbing him and, when he denied he was, you stabbed him again in an attempt to get him to admit he was a paedophile."