A career criminal who kicked a taxi driver to death after asking him for a cigarette has been jailed for a minimum of 16 years.
Steven Greig, 47, left Mark Ward, 55, severely disabled after the attack in Dundee on April 6, 2022.
Greig, who was high on drugs and on five bail orders at the time, punched the taxi driver to the ground after he refused to give him a cigarette, causing Mr Ward to fall down a steep embankment and hit his head. Greig then kicked him in the head repeatedly before walking away, the court heard.
Mr Ward suffered a traumatic head injury and required round-the-clock care before he died on April 5, 2023 in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Greig pleaded guilty to assault following the attack and was sentenced on December 9, 2022 to five years and four months, but he was later convicted of murder under double jeopardy laws following his victim’s death.
He had admitted culpable homicide at a trial at the High Court in Dundee but was convicted of murder by a jury.
On Thursday, Greig was given a life sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh and was told it will be 16 years before he is considered for parole.
Sentencing, Judge Lady Drummond said: “This was a senseless violent and unproved attack on a stranger to you.”
She said Mr Ward’s family described him as a “much-loved and highly intelligent man” who had worked all his life.
She said Greig had been unemployed for 25 years and his offending had become more serious and frequent since he was first convicted in 1993.
Lady Drummond said: “You and Mr Ward had never met before. You were under influence of drugs and came across Mr Ward who was a taxi driver standing beside an electric chargepoint.
“You asked him for a cigarette, you struggled with him and pushed him down a steep grassy slope. You then repeatedly kicked or stamped on his head as he lay on the road. You then walked away and left him to his fate.
“Mr Ward suffered a traumatic head injury, from April 2022 he was fully dependent on 24-hour care and had to be fed through a tube. You were on five bail orders.
“On April 5, 2023 Mr Ward died as a consequence of injuries you inflicted on him. You were convicted of murder. The jury rejected that you were guilty of culpable homicide.
“The impact of the injuries left him fully dependent on others for his care. Those injuries had a devastating impact on his family. The report says you have shown no meaningful remorse for your actions.
“This was a senseless violent and unprovoked attack on a stranger to you. You began by pushing him down a steep embankment and continued the attack by stamping on his head while he was lying defenceless on the ground.”
Defending, Iain Paterson KC told the court a criminal justice social work report said Greig had a “fairly difficult life and adverse childhood experiences” and “seems to be suffering complex post-traumatic stress disorder”.
He said: “Clearly what happened in relation to the incident was not a pre-planned or premeditated incident. It is a tragedy it has occurred for the deceased’s family.”
Detective Inspector Craig Kelly said: “Mark Ward endured a violent and unprovoked attack as he was going about a normal working day. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends who have also suffered immensely because of Greig’s brutal actions.
“We hope his sentencing today will bring them some form of comfort.
“Thankfully crimes like these are extremely rare in our communities. When such incidents take place, we will use every resource at our disposal to ensure we track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”
Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “This is a rare situation where someone has already previously been convicted of a crime and is prosecuted again under the same circumstances but for a different crime.
“As prosecutors, we have worked hard to deliver justice for Mark Ward and his family in what have been particularly traumatic circumstances for them since the assault in April 2022. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.
“Steven Greig’s appalling actions robbed a much-loved family man of his life following a shocking attack. He will now serve a lengthy prison sentence for his crime.”
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