Edinburgh crime: Violent drunk Jason Irvine who attacked praying priest at St Mary's Cathedral jailed for more than 2 years

A violent drunk who attacked a priest with a glass bottle while he was kneeling for morning prayers has been jailed.

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Jason Irvine, 32, repeatedly struck Father Jamie McMorrin on the body with makeshift weapon before chasing the cleric through St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh city centre last year.

The vile attack was stopped when the brave priest grabbed a wooden chair and fought his assailant off who was forced to drop the bottle and flee the church.

Father Jamie McMorrin, 35, was praying at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in York Place

Irvine then headed to the capital’s East Princes Street Gardens where he assaulted a 16-year-old girl by putting her in a headlock.

The lout subsequently travelled to his home in Cumbria and was picked up by police.

Irvine pleaded guilty to assaulting Fr McMorrin aggravated by religious prejudice, and to assaulting the teenage girl when he appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

He returned to the dock for sentencing on Wednesday where Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC told him he had carried out “disgraceful” attacks that day.

The sheriff sentenced Irvine to a 27 month jail term.

Previously the court was told Irvine entered the cathedral and approached the priest while smoking and drinking from “a purple can” at around 9.25am on July 26 last year.

He asked Fr McMorrin - who had been kneeling at the front pew - if he was a priest before pulling the bottle from his pocket and swinging it at the stunned priest.

The court was told Fr McMorrin, 35, avoided the first blow but was then struck to the shoulder and his lower back by the glass weapon.

The priest attempted to calm Irvine down before he was forced to grab a chair in an attempt to fend the attacker off.

Irvine then left the bottle and ran off before going on to assault the young girl around 20 minutes later.

Irvine pleaded guilty to a religiously aggravated assault by repeatedly striking the priest on the body with a bottle and chasing him at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, on July 26 last year.

He also admitted to assaulting a 16-year-old girl by grabbing her and putting her in a headlock at East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, on the same date.

In a statement, Fr McMorrin said: “I wholeheartedly forgive Jason for what happened and don’t hold any ill feeling towards him. I hope and pray that he gets the support that he needs.”

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