2:44pm UK, Friday April 23, 2004

Two teenage boys who cut off the head of a corpse and played with it in a graveyard have escaped jail.

Sonny Devlin, 17, and a 15-year-old, whose name is protected by law, were both given probation at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Sonny Devlin - judge said he committed gruesome offence

They were accused of cutting off the head and playing with it in a graveyard tomb at Edinburgh's Greyfriar's Cemetery and were subsequently found guilty at a trial in March.

In a historic case, they were convicted of the ancient crime of violation of a sepulchre.

The trial was the first of its kind to come to court in Scotland for more than a century.


Devlin, from Edinburgh, was sentenced to three years' probation with the condition that he carries out 200 hours of community service.

His 15-year-old accomplice was given two years' probation.

The judge told Devlin that the fact he had been drinking at the time was no excuse.

Lord Wheatley said: "You committed a gruesome and revolting offence three days after being convicted of a charge of assault.

"You will understand that vandalism and violation of a graveyard is something which causes universal disgust and revulsion."