A remorseful Edinburgh criminal who accepts he murdered a much loved dad of three on the same day he tried to kill another man has been jailed for life.
Dylan Curran, 25, took 30-year-old Celtic fan Peter Mullen’s life by repeatedly stabbing him with a knife in Leith Street, Edinburgh, on June 2 2023.
The high court in the city also heard how Curran also tried to kill John McFarlane by repeatedly striking him with a blade on his head and body on the same date on the same street.
READ MORE: East Lothian driver who carried out despicable attack on woman in car is unmasked
READ MORE: Furious West Lothian home owner ordered to tear down fence protecting her home
The attacks took place close to Edinburgh’s Omni Centre – CCTV footage shown to the jury in the trial showed locals and tourists enjoying Friday night drinks in the moments before Curran committed his crimes.
The court heard evidence how the accused had taken drugs and had been drinking in the hours leading up to the attacks. Curran, of Edinburgh, was convicted on murder and attempted murder charges at the end of a two long trial last month.
Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain reports and the case called again for sentence in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Judge Lady Ross heard how Curran now accepted the impact that his actions have had on dad of three Peter’s family.
Defence advocate John Scullion KC told Lady Ross that his client “bitterly” regretted his decision to carry a knife on the day of the attacks.
Lady Ross told Curran that she took into account his expressions of remorse and the fact that whilst growing up he witnessed his mother being subjected to domestic abuse attacks.
But she told that he had to be punished for his actions. She told him that he’d have to serve at least 20 years in custody before he could be considered for release.
Passing sentence, she said: “Your decision to carry a knife was a desperate act of folly. A horrible series of events brought you into contact with Peter Mullen. You did not know him.
“Your actions have impacted on Mr Mullen’s three children who have been left without a father.
“No sentence which can be imposed on you today will be adequate to deal with the pain and suffering being experienced by Mr Mullen’s family.”
Mr Mullen was a known Hoops fan. Dozens of floral tributes and online condolences were left for the Hoops fanatic at the time including from his fiancee, dad and the Leith Celtic Supporters Club.
On June 4 2023, the Leith Celtic Supporters Club made a touching online tribute to Peter.
They wrote: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart but would like us to pay tribute to a former member and user of the Leith bus who has been tragically taken from us.
“Peter Mullen was a loving caring happy young man who loved the Celtic and frequented the bus many times with his dad and his sister.
“He will be deeply missed by all his loving family and friends.’
His distraught relatives also laid floral tributes and a Celtic scarf was tied to a barrier at the scene.
The court heard how the dad-of-three was rushed from the crime scene to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but passed away a short time after the attack.
During proceedings, Mr Mullen’s brother Logan Sizer, 24, told jurors how his loved one told him he’d been stabbed following the “confrontation” with Curran.
Mr Sizer said he and his sibling had spent the evening of June 2 2023 drinking in nearby pubs.
Mr Sizer told the court that he and Mr Mullen were half brothers and were working on a building site in Edinburgh. They were supposed to visit family in Leeds, Yorkshire, on June 2 2023 but couldn’t go due to train strikes.
Mr Sizer told the court that he and Mr Mullen had been drinking in a branch of Wetherspoon’s in the city’s Omni Centre in the hours before the attack.
The court heard how Mr Sizer has told the police of how a “ginger” haired male who was with other people made a comment to him and Mr Mullen as they walked past each other.
Mr Sizer told prosecutor David McLean that he told the male to “eff off” but that the group started to follow him and Mr Mullen. Mr Sizer said he and his brother turned to face the group.
The witness then said a woman in the group made a “beeline” towards him and she tried to “claw” his face.
Mr Sizer, who gave evidence via video link, said: “I remember punching the woman. I turned around and Peter was on the floor telling me he had been stabbed.
“He lifted his top and I saw the stab wound on his left side.
“I dropped to my knees, applied pressure to the wounds and rang 999.”
During his evidence, Mr Sizer spoke of the impact that Mr Mullen had on his life.
He added: “He was basically like a dad to me. He brought me up and he looked out for me. He taught me so much.”
Join Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The court also heard evidence that he then attempted to murder Mr McFarlane. Police apprehended Curran soon after the attacks. They gathered enough evidence to bring him to court.
On Thursday, Mr Scullion told Lady Ross that his client suffered many “adverse childhood experiences” from being brought up in a “highly dysfunctional family”.
The court heard how Curran had been diagnosed with complex PTSD. He added: “He now bitterly regrets his actions and the impact that it has had on Mr Mullen and his family.
“He was at a particularly low point in his life at the time of these attacks which was caused by his mother’s ill health and the death of her partner. At the time of the attacks he was drinking and using drugs on a daily basis.”
Lady Ross also said there were grounds for “cautious optimism” in the sense that Curran had accepted his guilt and was making attempts to tackle his addiction issues.
She also said: “I would encourage you to take that seriously and to continue with these steps and to draw on all the support that will be available to you.”