By Dave Lord

A TEENAGER sentenced to seven years’ detention for a brutal attempted murder went on the run from a Perth young offenders’ institute because he was desperate to spend time with his terminally ill grandfather, a court has heard.

Robert Graham was just 14 when he stabbed stranger Thomas Rennie during a savage Glasgow street attack.

He was locked up for seven years and five months after the High Court in Edinburgh heard how he had been involved in drinking with gangs of youths since the age of 12.

The callous criminal winked at friends as he was led away to begin his time in detention.

Graham, now 18, was back in court yesterday after he went on the run from the Friarton Hall young offenders’ institute in Perth.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how he was granted temporary home leave on Christmas Eve, but failed to return to the facility as arranged.

He was later traced to his terminally ill grandfather’s house in Glasgow.

Yesterday he was ordered to spend a further six months in detention and has now been returned to closed conditions.

Depute Fiscal Therese Oswald gave details of the offence.

“At about 8.30am on December 24 Mr Graham was released from Friarton until 4pm on Saturday, December 29,” she said.

“However, he failed to return and the matter was reported to police.

“At 5.15am on December 31 Mr Graham was traced at a house in Glasgow. I understand it was his grandfather’s home.”

Solicitor John Boyle said his client had been desperate to spend some time with his grandfather as he feared it would be the last time he would see him alive.

“His grandfather is terminally ill with cancer and was scheduled to have three operations at this time.

“Mr Graham felt this might be the last opportunity he would get to spend time with his grandfather.

“He decided to take an extended period away from the institution to spend some extra time with him.”

Mr Boyle confirmed that Graham had now been returned to closed conditions and said, “His earliest release date was to be November 26, 2009 and he is well aware he may have jeopardised that.”

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said he had “no alternative” but to impose an additional period of six months’ detention to run consecutive to Graham’s current sentence.