‘The Scheme’ TV programme teenager jailed after owning up to assault charge
A teenager whose arrest led to BBC Scotland executives having to shelve the final episodes of the controversial Kilmarnock-based TV documentary, The Scheme, has been jailed for assaulting a fellow teenager.
Steven McMurray, 18, who appeared in the final two episodes, punched a 14-year-old in a bus shelter after demanding his wallet.
A warrant had been issued for his arrest when he failed to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court for sentencing.
He was jailed for nine months by Sheriff Douglas Brown, who told him: "This is a serious matter - I see no alternative to custody."
McMurray forced the BBC to shelve The Scheme after two episodes for legal reasons last year when he was arrested over a separate assault – attacking a bus passenger while out drinking.
He was locked up for four months and BBC Scotland were about to air the final two episodes when the latest case against him emerged.
His lawyer Andy Iles told the court that McMurray hoped to avoid jail over last April's mugging in his hometown after being offered a joiner's job.
Iles said: "He was under pressure due to his appearance in a BBC documentary but managed to stay out of trouble."
The Scheme's last two episodes and a follow-up programme were finally shown in May after McMurray's conviction. It followed life on Kilmarnock's tough Onthank estate.
The documentary has subsequently been screened across the UK.