Teen stabbed stranger who called him Harry Potter during argument at bus stop

A teenager became “angry” and repeatedly stabbed a stranger who called him Harry Potter during an early morning argument in Edinburgh.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lost his temper with the 21-year-old at a bus stop in Princes Street on March 17, 2024.

The High Court heard on Tuesday how the youth was wearing a “large pair of black-rimmed spectacles” when he encountered the victim.

Prosecutor Margaret Barron told the court how the pair became involved in a “verbal argument” moments before the teenager struck the man with a blade he had been carrying.

The court heard that investigators were unable to discover what triggered the altercation but had managed to determine that the man made the reference to Harry Potter. Warner Bros

She added: “The complainer said to the accused, ‘Calm down, Harry Potter,’ after which the altercation began.

“During this altercation, the accused removed a knife from his pocket and stabbed the complainer to the torso. At this point, [the victim] and his friends were unaware that he had been injured.

“Some people attempted to break up the scuffle, and at some point, a pair of glasses worn by the accused fell to the ground.

“The complainer felt a pain in his chest area and lifted up his top to reveal a stab wound to his torso. He showed the injury to his friends, telling them he had been stabbed.”

The tennager pleaded guilty to a charge which stated that he repeatedly struck the victim on his body to “severe injury, permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and to the danger of his life”.

Ms Barron told the court that the man and his friends had been on a night out and were standing at the bus stop at about 12.45am.

She said that he and the teenager were “unknown to each other”.

The court heard that investigators were unable to discover what triggered the altercation but had managed to determine that the man made the reference to Harry Potter.

Ms Barron said a witness told detectives about the comment. Speaking about the witness, she said: “The witness stated… the complainer called the accused Harry Potter, which made the accused angry.”

Ms Barron added: “All witnesses describe the argument as becoming physical.”

The prosecution lawyer said the confrontation continued a short distance away from the bus stop – the victim was then stabbed again.

Ms Barron said: “The accused and complainer began pushing and shoving each other until at 12.55am, the complainer collapsed clutching his body. The accused had stabbed the complainer again, inflicting two further injuries to the complainer’s torso.

“The accused then ran off towards Market Street. The complainer was heard to say, ‘I can’t breathe.’”

Ms Barron told the court that an ambulance arrived soon afterwards, and the victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Hospital, and doctors operated on him, removing his spleen.

Ms Barron added: “His injuries were of a severe nature, and without the appropriate surgical intervention, his life would have been at risk.

“He will be left with permanent scarring at the site of his injuries and also at the site of his operative wound. His injuries were consistent with having been caused by a sharp implement.”

Police launched an investigation and managed to identify the boy who was arrested on March 20.

The court heard that the teen was a first offender.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC asked Judge Lord Cubie to continue bail for his client ahead of a sentencing hearing, which will be held later this year.

He added: “If the court ever needed an illustration of the foolishness of carrying a knife in a public place then this case is it.

“He appreciates he is in the High Court for a reason and that the court is considering a sentence of detention.”

Mr McSporran said that if granted bail, his client would be accompanied by his mother to an interview with a social worker appointed by the court to write a report into the boy’s background.

Mr McSporran added: “I would invite the court to have all sentencing options in mind.

“He is a very different young man to the very young man who committed this offence.”

Lord Cubie continued the teenager’s bail and ordered a criminal justice social work report to be made available to the court.

He told the boy not to “read anything” into the decision to grant him bail.

Lord Cubie added: “The nature of your crime to which you have been convicted of make it almost inevitable that you will receive a sentence of detention.

“I will continue bail but nothing should be read into that.”

The youth will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on April 1, 2025.