LUKE Mitchell's school jotter was daubed with satanic graffiti and he joked about getting high on cannabis and killing someone, his murder trial heard yesterday.
Michelle Tierney, 17, de-scribed a conversation in an area of Woodburn, Dalkeith, where young people went to smoke cannabis. She said of Mr Mitchell: ''He said that he could just imagine himself going out and getting stoned and killing somebody and how funny it would be.''
Ms Tierney added: ''I didn't think it was funny at all.''
Geraldine Mackie, one of his teachers, said she had referred Mr Mitchell to a guidance teacher after he wrote an essay on the end of the world, headed ''Pain and Suffering''.
A passage from it read: ''If God forgives everyone, then why the need to be sent to Hell. If you ask me, God is just a futile excuse, at the most, for a bunch of fools to go around annoying others who want nothing to do with them. Are these people insane? Open your eyes. People like you need satanic people like me to keep the balance.
''Once you shake hands with the Devil you then have truly experienced life.''
The jury also saw the youth's jotter, with messages scrawled on it such as ''Taste the Devil's green blood'' and ''Satan master lead us into Hell''.
Mrs Mackie described him as a rebellious pupil in a class where most were highly motivated.
Alan Turnbull QC, prosecuting, asked if she had ever contacted Mr Mitchell's guidance teacher.
Mrs Mackie told about referring the essay she had received in January last year. ''Some of the content I found quite worrying and quite unusual for a pupil. It was the first time I had ever referred on a piece of writing to the guidance staff.''
Another of his essays was shown in court, reading: ''So what if I am a Goth in a Catholic school? So what if I dress in baggy clothes? Just because I am more violent than others and cut myself, does that justify some pompous git of a teacher to refer me to a psychiatrist? Just because I have chosen to follow the teachings of Satan doesn't mean I need psychiatric help.''
Donald Findlay QC, defending Mr Mitchell, suggested he was just a rebellious pupil.
Mrs Mackie replied: ''Well, from my point of view I was quite concerned about him and the nature of his rebellion.''
She told the lawyer Mr Mitchell's work was not suitable to be submitted to an exam board.
Another passage on religion and God suggested: ''How can anyone be good because without evil there can be no good, so it must be good to be evil.''
Mr Findlay commented: ''It seems to be pretty thoughtful for his tender years.'' He suggested it was quite ''thought- provoking''.
He showed the court again the words scrawled on the back of Mr Mitchell's jotters which included an Irish nationalist slogan, ''F*** the Queen'' and ''F*** the World'', as well as the names of pop and rock groups.
On one the pupil had written: ''Depression is only a stage in my life so f*** off and stay out of my mind.'' Mr Findlay asked: ''This is an assortment of rubbish on a kid's jotter, isn't it?''
''Yes,'' agreed Mrs Mackie.
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