Cowardly gang leaders using young men for string of attacks - thanks to SNP's soft-touch justice

CHILDREN, some of them barely in their teens, are being ruthlessly exploited by major criminals to carry out the firebombing campaign happening across Scotland — because the country’s “soft-justice” means they face little chance of receiving a custodial sentence if caught.

- Richard Elias

The startling revelation comes as police try desperately to crack down on underworld figures who have been orchestrating dozens of attacks on friends and associates of a notorious drugs trafficker.

Last night, the leader of the Scottish Tories said the SNP’s lax approach to law and order had created a situation that meant children were “ripe for exploitation”.

Russell Findlay, himself a former crime reporter, was referring to the controversial Sentencing Young People guidelines.

These were approved by the High Court following a public consultation in 2020 and came into law two years later.

The legislation applies to the sentencing of all those who are under the age of 25 at the time of their conviction.

The guidance says an assessment of a young person’s maturity has a bearing on culpability and suggests factors such as childhood trauma should be considered when punishing offenders.

But the advice has been slammed by critics who claim it gives carte blanche to young offenders to commit further crime.

Now, it is claimed the legislation is being used by organised crime figures to deflect blame away from themselves.

Over the past two months, a gangland feud has erupted following the disappearance of a stash of cocaine worth £500,000. It has led to a spate of homes and businesses being torched, drive-by shootings and repeated online threats.

Initially, it was centred in and around Edinburgh, but more recently, the attacks have switched across to Glasgow and its outlying suburbs.

Over the weekend, a 72-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were stabbed by a masked gang who kicked their way into a house in north Glasgow. Both victims suffered “significant injuries”.

Last week, a nearby carpet-fitting business was also torched and on Monday, two houses in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, were set alight as the terrifying campaign shows no sign of de-escalating.