A CALL for tougher action on knife crime has been made after it emerged that the man who murdered 19-year-old Reamonn Gormley was on bail for an earlier stabbing at the time he claimed the life of the "outstanding" student.

Daryn Maxwell, 23, yesterday pled guilty to murdering Mr Gormley in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, on February 1 with his accomplice Barry Smith admitting to culpable homicide.

Mr Gormley bled to death after being repeatedly stabbed by Maxwell after he refused to hand over his wallet to his killer, who struck as the student walked home from the pub where he had watched an Aberdeen v Celtic football match with one of his oldest friends.

As customers of his local pub battled to save his life, the Glasgow University student called out “pleased don’t let me die” before falling unconscious.

It has now emerged that Maxwell was freed by the High Court just three weeks before he murdered Mr Gormley after appealing against a 32-month sentence for stabbing a man three times in the town in August 2008. The original sentence was quashed on the grounds it was incompetent.

Criticisms were mounting last night that Maxwell, who has spent four separate spells in prison and started offending at the age of 14, was free to kill.

Labour’s justice spokesman, James Kelly, said: “The callous, unprovoked killing of Reamonn Gormley shocked the local community and appalled the country. What makes this case even more tragic is that it could have been avoided. One of the men who pled guilty to his killing had a history of violent crime and at the time of the killing was on bail for stabbing someone. People are rightly asking why on earth this violent knife criminal with a history of breaching bail was ever granted bail.”

Maxwell was arrested after confiding in his mother, Margaret Innes, that he committed the murder. She then went to the police. The High Court in Glasgow heard yesterday that Maxwell was convicted of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement in 2003. The following year he was sentenced to four months’ detention for breach of the peace and having an offensive weapon -- a piece of wood.

In 2006 he received a 20-month sentence for willful fireraising and a further 18 months’ detention for assault to cause severe injury.

Barry Smith, Maxwell’s co-accused, was subject to two bail orders having been granted bail at Hamilton Sheriff Court on June 7, and December 17, 2010.

Smith, who was armed with a chisel on the night of the killing, was originally charged with Reamonn’s murder but pled guilty to culpable homicide.

He had approached Mr Gormley’s friend, David McFall, while Maxwell jumped in front of Raemonn and demanded his wallet and his mobile phone

Mr Gormley was stabbed three times, with the fatal blow severing his carotid artery.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, said: “Both accused were unknown to David McFall and the deceased and it appears this was an entrely random and unprovoked attack on two innocent members of the public. Smith was knowingly part of an agreed plan to commit a robbery.”

In March, Maxwell wrote to his mother and said: “Going to pled to it at court,” and added: “Can’t put the boyz family through a trial plus a don’t want you going through it.”

The victim was described as a gifted young man who had worked with Down’s syndrome children in the Far East through the Good Child Foundation. He had also climbed Ben Nevis in aid of a local hospice.

Judge Lady Dorrian deferred sentence on both men until next month for background reports.