A teenager who tried to murder a visitor to Glasgow during a vicious knife attack on the stranger was jailed for five years and three months on Thursday. 

Harrison Keaney,18, repeatedly stabbed the victim who collapsed and was heard to say: "Please don't let me die."

Heaney was out with friends in the city celebrating the end of a bail curfew imposed on when he carried out the attack on Mergim Thaqi, who had travelled to the city from London to attend the wedding of his sister.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told Keaney that his behaviour showed he was prepared to take part "in extreme violence with the use of a weapon".

Lady Drummond told the teenager: "Your record of offending demonstrates escalating violence."

She told Keaney that imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence because of the serious, life threatening nature of the attack on the victim and his record.

The judge pointed out that he has a previous conviction for assault with a knife.

She told Keaney that if he had been more mature at the time of the attempted murder she would have selected a nine year term of imprisonment as a sentence.

But as he was 18 at the time of the attack she would limit the starting point of her sentence to seven years in jail, which would be reduced following his earlier guilty plea.

The judge also ordered that he should be under supervision for a further two year period while in the community and warned that if he breached licence conditions during that period he could be returned to jail.

Lady Drummond noted that Keaney appeared to have genuine remorse for his behaviour and insight into his actions.

Keaney, who is currently in custody, previously admitted assaulting Mr Thaqi, 23, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life and attempting to murder him by repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife on November 19 last year at Argyle Street, in Glasgow. We previously reported the incident happened near the soup kitchen. 

Keaney had been freed under two separate bail orders granted at Glasgow Sheriff Court at the time of the murder bid.

The court heard that one of the wounds sustained by the victim narrowly missed his aorta _ the largest artery in the body.

Mr Thaqi had left the venue where the wedding had taken place with a cousin. Keaney was out with others and words were exchanged as they passed.

One of those with Keaney was struck and he reacted by producing a knife and stabbing the victim, who collapsed.

Ambulance personnel attended and the injured man was taken to hospital for treatment to his wounds.

Defence counsel Callum Hiller said that Heaney has already taken part in courses while detained and added: "He has shown an appropriate level of insight now into the impact and consequences of his actions."