THREE middle-class teenagers who kicked and stamped a young mechanic to death were each sentenced to four years' detention yesterday.

Lord Eassie told Iain Wheldon, Graham Purves and Ross Gravestock that their behaviour had been disgraceful and the death of 19-year-old Mark Ayton was a tragedy which need never have happened.

However, he had to take into account a number of mitigating factors, particularly medical evidence that only a modest degree of violence had been involved in the attack.

Although the accused and their victim all lived in Balerno on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the three accused attended Balerno High School while the victim went to neighbouring Currie High and the judge singled out the ''juvenile but deplorable'' skirmishing between local youths as being at the root of Mark Ayton's death.

After the sentences at the High Court in Edinburgh, the dead youth's father, Mr Malcolm Ayton, a tax inspector, expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the case. He understood the accused would serve only two years.

''I do not think that is enough atonement for killing my son in his own village. I feel helplessness that I cannot do anything about it. I do not think any parent in Scotland if their children were killed would expect that those responsible would effectively serve two years. I think the system has failed me. With the large discretion available to judges in culpable homicide cases it seems the sentences do not fit the crime.

''I think somebody needs to have a careful think about this. It cannot be reasonably be thought two years is sufficient to deter it.''

The fact that all three accused came from good homes was relevant to the extent that they should have known better.

''I cannot forgive them. I do, however, feel sorry for their parents because they do come from decent homes. They are perhaps not as upset as we are but they are upset and I do feel sorry for them.''

Wheldon, of Turner Avenue, Purves, of Mansfield Road and Gravestock, of Ravelrig Park, all Balerno, went to trial at the High Court in Glasgow charged with murdering Mr Ayton at Lanark Road West in the town on November 23 last year.

During the trial earlier this month, all three changed their pleas to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Wheldon is the son of a police inspector, Purves' father is a print company managing director and Gravestock's parents are lecturers.

The court heard that Mark Ayton and his brother Paul, of Cherry Tree Loan, also Balerno, had been out drinking and were making their way home when they became involved in a verbal exchange with the accused. This later escalated into a fight and Mark was attacked after Paul ran home to raise the alarm.

He was kicked and stamped on as he lay on the ground.

The vice chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, Mr David McLetchie, last night criticised the sentences on the three youths, now all aged 17.

''Most people will rightly be appalled that three young men who kicked another to death have got off so lightly,'' he said.

''This sentence is not only a slap in the face to Mark Ayton's parents but it sends out entirely the wrong signal to all young men tempted to engage in this kind of mindless, aggressive behaviour.''

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