The man who was today convicted of killing two people in Dundee was previously sentenced to seven years in prison for attempted murder.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC revealed Robert Stratton had been given a jail term at the High Court in Dunfermline in 2002 for attempted murder.
Stratton, 43, will spend a minimum of 23 years behind bars for the murder of Julie McCash, 43, and the culpable homicide by provocation of David Sorrie, 32, in Drumlanrig Drive on February 26.
As he was led away to the cells this afternoon, Stratton turned to the families of the victims and said: “Are youse happy?”.
The jury at the High Court in Edinburgh returned a unanimous verdict to the charge of murdering Ms McCash by stabbing her with a knife.
After a unanimous verdict was also returned on the killing of Mr Sorrie, family members were heard to shout: “You ******* *******. Look what you’ve done to my mum.”
Evil Stratton stabbed the pair following a get-together in Drumlanrig Drive aimed at comforting the mother of 18-year-old Ralph Smith who fell from Arbroath Cliffs.
Mr Prentice said the families of Ms McCash, a mum of three, and dad-of-two Mr Sorrie are still “distraught” over their loss.
Judge Lord Beckett sentenced Stratton to 23 years in prison for the murder of Ms McCash and 10 years for killing Mr Sorrie, both backdated to February 27 when he was first remanded.
He will only be considered for release by the parole board once he has served 23 years in prison.
Lord Beckett said: “You took two knives into the street and stabbed two people in the torso with one of those knives.
“Julie McCash lost her life at 43 and he family lost her forever.
“David Sorrie may have pursued you but you were not acting in self defence.
“I recognise in each case there was a single stab wound but nobody would have died if you had not taken the wholly unnecessary step of arming yourself with two knives and leaving the safety of your own house.”
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/mid-craigie-murder-trial-verdict-robert-stratton/
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/mid-craigie-murder-trial-detective-issues-statement-needless-killings-pair-robert-stratton-convicted/
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