Two plead guilty to West Pilton attempted murder

Two men have pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow for attempting to murder a Chinese man in Pilton last October. Garry Reid (19) and James Hogg (24) pleaded guilty of the attempted murder of Jie Yu, who was attacked in West Pilton Park on Wednesday 1 October.

The incident sparked outrage in the local community and residents demanded action against crime and antisocial behaviour at public meetings in West Pilton. That community concern instigated the formation of the multi-agency #StrongerNorth initiative, which is ongoing.

The two men were swiftly apprehended after the attack. Police followed a positive line of inquiry and, acting on intelligence and local information, Reid was arrested and charged on the day after the attack; Hogg was apprehended the following week.

Mr Yu suffered stab wounds and his injuries gave cause for concern at one stage. He was treated for serious injuries at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and then at St John’s Hospital in Livingston but he was later released and now continues his recovery at home with his family.

Hogg pleaded guilty to attempted murder, while Reid pleaded guilty to attempted murder with racial aggravation. They will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Inspector David Pinkney said: “This was a brutal attack on a well liked and regarded member of the West Pilton community. Officers worked quickly in order to bring Reid and Hogg to justice for their crimes. Now that Gary Reid and James Hogg have pleaded guilty, I hope Jie and his family can move on from this ordeal.”

Community Inspector David Happs said: “This was an incident that shocked residents in the West Pilton community and led to the launching of Stronger North.

“This is an ongoing initiative, which has seen positive changes in the local area. While there is still work to do, we are committed to working with our partners to create and maintain a better community for the people of North Edinburgh.”

One local resident, who has supported the #StrongerNorth initiative since it’s launch, said: “That attack was one of the blackest moments in this area’s history, it was an awful incident but some good has come of it. It is good that we can move on from this now and work together to ensure that Pilton is known as a welcoming place for everyone to live and work”.