Mum took photo in court of man who was nearly killed by her son - then posted it on Facebook and called him a 'grass'

Dawn Reilly is facing jail time.
Rhys Reynolds suffered 36 injuries in the attack.Rhys Reynolds suffered 36 injuries in the attack.
Rhys Reynolds suffered 36 injuries in the attack.

A mum took a photo of the survivor of an attempted murder as he gave evidence at her son’s trial and posted it on social media branding him a “grass”.

Victim Rhys Reynolds, 26, reported to officers that Dawn Reilly, mother of Kane Reilly, had posted his picture on Facebook – a photo she snapped during his testimony at the High Court in Edinburgh.

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After seeing the photo, a teenage witness who was due to appear at the trial was terrified to give evidence.

Dawn Reilly was overheard boasting about the photo by cops after she was ejected from the court room where her son Kane was in the dock along with others accused of the crime.

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Police found the photograph on Facebook under her name with the words “GRASS!!!!!!FOR ALL TO SEE!!!!!! COURT GRASS”.

Reilly, 42, added the comment “worth getting kicked out”, a judge at the High Court in Edinburgh was told.

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Advocate depute Richard Goddard QC said: “The post prompted five other comments including one that stated ‘give him a solid punch in the face’. The post of the photograph was liked by other Facebook users 46 times and was shared 29 times.”

Mr Goddard said it was seen by a 16-year-old girl who was due to give evidence in the attempted murder trial and caused her “greater fear and distress” ahead of giving her testimony.

Guilty plea

Reilly, a single mother of six and grandmother of two, admitted committing a breach of the peace on August 14 last year at the High Court trial, taking place in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court building, when she appeared in court yesterday.

She pled guilty to taking a photograph of Crown witness Mr Reynolds, who was then giving evidence, and posting it on public social media with derogatory remarks and further comments relating to the proceedings while the trial was ongoing and other civilian witnesses had still to give evidence.

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Lord Boyd told Reilly that the “strong likelihood” was that she would receive a custodial sentence for the offence.

Musselburgh attack

Her son Kane Reilly was one of six accused who were originally jailed for a total of 47 years following the horrific Hogmanay attack on Mr Reynolds who was hunted down in the street.

He was chased and set upon by the gang who repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him at Delta Drive, Musselburgh.

Mr Reynolds was also assaulted with knives and a pole and one attacker struck him with a rock or slab. He suffered 36 injuries, including facial fractures and bleeding on the brain following the incident on December 31 in 2018.

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The trial judge, Gordon Liddle, condemned it as a “cowardly and vicious assault” which was captured on camera and treated as attempted murder.

An appeal court earlier this month cut Reilly’s sentence from eight years to six.