Jamie Bain: Police hunt teenage son of infamous Marmion pub shotgun killer after he breached home curfew terms

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Jamie Bain, 19, had been in Her Majesty’s Young Offenders Institution in Polmont for a brutal knife attack on a close friend near an Aldi in Gilmerton Road two years ago. The victim was repeatedly stabbed with a large kitchen knife and his injuries were described in court as “life-threatening.”

Last year, Bain had his four year sentence cut to 40 months by a judge after lawyers went to the appeal court claiming he had a tough childhood because of the “sudden disappearance” of his namesake father.

But Bain senior has not disappeared and is serving a minimum 22 years in prison for shooting dead ex-boxing champion Alexander McKinnon with a sawn-off shotgun in the Marmion pub in Gracemount in 2006. He also attempted to murder the victim’s brother-in-law, James Hendry.

Police are appealing to the public for information to help trace Jamie Bain. Pic: Police Scotland

Police, who believe Bain junior has connections in Edinburgh as well as in the Scottish Borders, have urged members of the public not to approach him if seen. Instead, anyone with information should contact police on 1010, quoting incident number 2584 of June 4.

He is described as white, of slim build with light brown/blond hair and about 5ft 9 ins tall.

Anyone wishing to provide information anonymously can do so through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Bain junior pleaded guilty in February last year to the knife assault but his lawyer, Susan Duff, said the apprentice electrician should not have been locked up for his first offence at such a young age. She asked the judges to instead give him a community payback order or “a lesser custodial sentence.”

At the time, judge Lord Arthurson rejected the plea as “inappropriate and unrealistic” and sent Bain to jail.

Bain’s lawyers went to the Court of Criminal Appeal and said Lord Arthurson was wrong and his sentence was reduced to 40 months in a written ruling issued in August 2020.

Lord Menzies and Lord Glennie agreed Bain had to serve time, but determined his sentence was too harsh.

In the written ruling, they said the decision was partly based on a report by developmental psychologist Dr Suzanne Zeedyk who said that Bain had suffered childhood trauma and was “less able” to cope with emotions.

Those, she wrote, included the “sudden disappearance of his father” from his life along with “family chaos and substance use”.

The victim of the knife attack sustained three penetrating stab wounds to his chest, left flank and back, with damage to internal organs including his pancreas and left lung and is scarred for life.

In the judgement, Lord Menzies said it appeared the appellant would be “successfully reintegrated into society” and that he has “shown some maturity and considerable empathy.”

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