Murderer wore court-imposed tag

David Hart was wearing a court-imposed tag when he killed Mr Rooney

A man convicted of a savage street murder in North Lanarkshire, while wearing a court-imposed electronic tag, has been jailed for at least 15 years.

David Hart, 21, was free on bail when he killed 39-year-old Christopher Rooney in Wishaw in April last year.

He carried out the attack with his brother Ryan, 19, who has been sent to the state hospital at Carstairs.

Hart was given a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years before he can apply for parole.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Mr Rooney had gone to the brothers' home in Ryde Lane, Wishaw, but was asked to leave before being attacked in the garden.

He died after suffering a total of 79 separate injuries, including a head haemorrhage, and blood built up around his brain.

As Mr Rooney lay dying, David Hart watched television and later slept in the house.

Christopher Rooney suffered a total of 79 separate injuries

He was convicted of repeatedly punching and kicking Mr Rooney, stamping and jumping on his head and body, striking him with a mug, spitting on him and failing to seek medical help, leaving him abandoned and exposed.

His younger brother, Ryan, was held to be insane and sent to the high security state hospital at Carstairs.

It emerged during sentencing that David Hart was under four separate bail orders and had sentence deferred on him from a previous case at the time of the attack.

He had been granted bail three times at Hamilton Sheriff Court - the most recent five days before the murder.

He was also freed on a bail order the same day at Motherwell District Court.

Among the offences he was bailed for was carrying a knife, breach of the peace and vandalism.

Passing sentence, temporary judge Rita Rae QC said: "This was a very brutal and callous attack on a man, who appears to have been, to all intents and purposes, incapable of doing very much, since he was so drunk.

"There was nothing in the evidence to suggest that he did anything whatsoever to provoke this attack or to attract the level of violence inflicted upon him.

"That, however, did not prevent you and your brother inflicting appalling injuries on him."