Dad’s fury at new life for Gym Hall Killer

Father of tragic Euan says the early release of prisoners is ‘a joke’.

Schoolboy killer Darren Taylor recently enjoyed an autumnal stroll in a park, just days after he was released less than halfway through a culpable homicide sentence for the killing of Euan Craig much to the disgust of Euan’s dad.

Euan, 14, died after Taylor struck him following an incident in a school gym hall in 2012.

Last night the lad’s firefighter dad Richard railed against Taylor’s new life on the outside, saying he is getting to enjoy simple teen pleasures his dead son will never enjoy himself.

And he branded the early release of ALL prisoners a joke, insisting top-to-bottom reform of sentencing guidelines is urgently needed to ensure prisoners serve their full tariff, not half a sentence.

He said: “For most people life begins in their late teens. That’s exactly what’s happening for Taylor too.

“It’s clear what he did will have no detrimental effect on his life whatsoever. He will have a criminal record, but apart from that it’s absolutely nothing to him. It’ll all be written off. The photos prove that.”

Mr Craig has blasted the decision to allow Taylor his freedom after he served less than HALF of his 42-month custodial sentence.

Euan accidently struck Taylor with a sponge ball at Glasgow’s Ross Hall Academy, Crookston, in 2012. Taylor punched him repeatedly in the head leading to the young lad’s death.

Taylor pled guilty of culpable homicide and was given three-and-a-half years in a Young Offenders Institute a punishment Richard dismissed as “a joke”.

But last week the teen was seen enjoying a stroll as he settled into his new life. All the while the Craigs’ torment goes on.

Richard said: “While he starts anew, we still struggle to cope. We’re left with this for the rest of our lives. For him it’s forgotten about. A wee mistake he made in the past and he’s done his time, albeit less than two years.

“It’s ridiculous.”

Taylor was 15 when he attacked Euan in front of the popular boy’s classmates. He delivered five lethal blows to Euan’s head. Euan apologised throughout the attack but minutes later keeled over with head injuries. He died the following day.

Dad Richard and mum Anne hoped for murder charges to be brought against Taylor who had previously posted photos on Facebook of himself holding a baseball bat as a weapon. However, he was charged with culpable homicide and pled guilty in November. Lord Bracadale sent him to a Young Offenders Institute for three-and-a-half years.

Under the early release programme, he walked free from Paisley’s Kibble Institute on August 22 only 20 months later.

That decision has been heavily criticised by Euan’s family, who consider it another devastating blow in their quest for justice.

Richard, 46, said: “The justice system has been a total disgrace it’s a circus. The system is a joke. Sentences are ridiculous. People who carry out armed robbery get more. But they don’t kill anyone. They don’t take a life yet they get longer than Taylor for what he did to Euan.

“I feel the way the Crown has dealt with this has just been a box-ticking exercise. No compassion whatsoever for our family.

“You can’t help but question the sentence and the early release scheme. There is a place for early release. But crimes of this type shouldn’t be considered.

“For someone to do something like that and then almost get ‘rewarded’ by the justice system is just baffling. There is no deterrent. Even the sentence a Young Offenders Institute is like a holiday camp.

“They get presents, visits from their families, days out, all paid for by the taxpayer. Where is the justice?

“This was an opportunity to lay a marker down to everyone no matter what age that would have said, ‘If you lift your hands you’ll be responsible’. The justice system has failed completely.”

Taylor has moved to a new address in the Central Belt, where he lives with his parents and sister who was also removed from Ross Hall following Euan’s death. He has settled into the new community and is often seen around his new home town. Neighbours are said to be unaware of his background. The family previously lived in Glasgow, but sold their home as Taylor’s release approached.

Taylor is believed to be considering re-entering mainstream education, and regularly works out after receiving threats from other inmates while he was inside.

Last week, though, he appeared not to have a care in the world as he enjoyed the holiday weekend.

Richard continued: “To see Taylor out, moving on with his life, makes me sick to my stomach. How can such a crime be committed yet the one responsible for it is out after 21 months?

“That represents six weeks for every year that Euan was on this earth. That’s all his life was worth six weeks a year. Forty-two months should mean 42 months.”

Scottish Conservative Chief Whip John Lamont said this case was “yet another compelling reason why automatic early release should be scrapped across the board”.

He added: “It must be sickening for the family of the victim to see his killer free to enjoy the normal life he so brutally denied someone else.

“Most people would regard the initial sentence as paltry, but now that it has been cut in half is disgraceful.”

The SNP claim they plan on bringing an end to the practice of cutting sentences short of those who maintain a level of good behaviour during their time behind bars. Critics argue the proposals don’t go far enough as only a small proportion of prisoners will be affected by the change.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Sentencing is for our independent courts. However, in August this year we introduced a Bill to Parliament which will end the practice of automatic early release for the most serious offenders.”

That pledge is not enough for Euan’s dad.

“The only people who don’t seem to understand the problem is those who can change it,” said Richard.