Jordan Dickson, 25, has been sentenced to a 19-year custodial sentence at Glasgow High Court, for the murder of his friend Craig Sneddon, 41.
The deceased was left with 18 wounds after a knife attack in Dalkeith.
On the 17th of January 2021 the deceased was left with 18 wounds after Dickson attacked him. The attack was described by police as ‘brutal’. Dickson then left the scene but confessed to a woman that he had left Sneddon ‘burnt to a crisp’. They were spotted on Dickson’s Kawasaki motorbike and at around 00:30 were seen at Fordel Path.
Prosecutor Eric Robertson told the court: “There are no eyewitnesses to what happened there, but Jordan Dickson accepts that while there he assaulted Craig Sneddon in terms detailed in the charge. “At around 4:30am, he stated to a friend: ‘I need help. I cannot talk on the phone’. He later added that here had been a confrontation between him and Craig.
Mr Robertson continued: “He told the man that after he stabbed Craig Sneddon in the neck, he poured petrol on top of him, placed the motorcycle on top and set fire to him.”
Later, Dickson went to the home of a friend of his other sister and shouted that he was ‘in trouble’ and had ‘killed someone’. Dickson then travelled via bus in Wallyford and confessed to a passenger ‘I am going to get done with murder’.
At around 9am that morning Craig’s body was discovered by a couple. His body was initially too badly damaged to be identified and he had suffered at least 18 wounds to his face, head and neck. Ian Duguid, defending, stated that they had ‘embarked on a journey’ on the bike with Craig later in control.
He continued: “There was a collision or a minor accident and both came off the motorcycle.
“It was that event which caused the argument between the two men.” Dickson stated that Sneddon had gone for him and he retaliated.
Lady Stacey in sentencing Dickson said: “What you did was wicked and cruel. “After what happened, you did nothing by way of reporting or trying to get help. You did nothing apart from setting fire to his body. The family of Craig Sneddon will find that extremely hard to deal with.”
Dickson was then sentenced to a minimum of 19 years imprisonment after he pled guilty to the murder at Glasgow High Court.