Jail for wheelbarrow case killer

Foxton was sentenced at the High Court in Kilmarnock

The family of a teenager whose body was dumped in their garden in a wheelbarrow has condemned the sentence given to his killer.

John Foxton, 35, from Alloa, was handed six-and-a-half years for kicking Ryan Copeland in the head twice while he was drunk and unable to defend himself.

Ryan's mother Veronica had tried in vain to resuscitate her son as he lay in her front garden.

Her other son Scott said he had expected Foxton to be jailed for life.

During sentencing at the High Court in Kilmarnock, Lord Bracadale called Foxton "callous" and said the impact of the crime on his victim's family had been "profound".

Speaking after the court hearing, Scott Copeland said: "The justice system seems so lenient. This guy killed my brother and he has only got six years, and he won't even serve that.

It has broken our hearts and my mother has been a different person since Ryan was killed Scott Copeland Ryan Copeland's brother

"My mother, Veronica, wanted this guy to get life in jail for what he did to Ryan - we all thought it was the least he deserved.

"This sentence is no comfort - no jail sentence in enough. Even the judge said what that guy did was a callous thing to do."

Ryan was dumped in the Copeland's garden on 22 September 2006 in a wheelbarrow following the attack by Foxton in the town's Lomond Court.

At a previous hearing, prosecutor John Scullion described how asthma sufferer Ryan had been friendly with the Foxtons, who lived a few doors from him.

Dumped in garden

After a night of drinking, an argument had broken out between John Foxton and Ryan.

They exchanged punches, then Ryan was put out of the house through the back door. John Foxton then knocked him to the ground and kicked his head twice.

Following the attack, Foxton's cousin Thomas found the teenager bleeding from facial injuries.

He cleared blood from his mouth and put him in the recovery position.

Mr Foxton then enlisted his cousin's help to take Ryan home by bundling him into a wheelbarrow.

The court heard that Ryan may already have been dead by this point.

Brain injury

Thomas Foxton knocked on the Copelands' door to wake his parents.

Mrs Copeland gave her son mouth-to-mouth in a bid to save him.

A medical examination revealed Ryan had minor bruising but no fractures or brain injury.

Mr Scullion said: "It is well recognised, however, that death may occur following minor head injury where the brain is sensitised to trauma by acute alcohol intoxication."

The cause of death was put down to "minor head trauma when intoxicated with alcohol and asthma".

Scott Copeland said Ryan's death was the second time he had lost a sibling after his brother Craig committed suicide in 2001.

He said: "My mother has lost two boys now. Words cannot describe the grief our mother is feeling since Ryan's death.

"It has broken our hearts and my mother has been a different person since Ryan was killed."