The killer of Shaun Woodburn is set to be released from prison on the fourth anniversary of the attack which left the dad of one dead.
Mohammed Ibnomer, who has served just four years, is leaving prison one day earlier than expected.
The 19-year-old, whose parole was denied three times, and other members of his gang started their rampage on Hogmanay 2016 before it culminated in a violent confrontation outside Gladstones pub in Leith, Edinburgh.
Ibnomer, who was 16 at the time, attacked Shaun, 30, who died the next day from catastrophic head injuries.
Last night, Shaun’s heartbroken dad Kevin branded the justice system “insensitive” for allowing the killer’s release to go ahead on a “painful day full of bad memories” for the family.
He said: “Are any of the people who make those decisions human? Or is it decided by computers? It’s incredibly insensitive to release this man on the anniversary of the attack which would leave my son dead.
“They informed me he was leaving prison early and I expected them to say maybe a week or two but one day and on Hogmanay of all days.
"Why not release him on the 30th or the 29th? A day or two isn’t going to make much difference.
“He’s already served his full pathetic sentence so a few days early in the grand scheme of things isn’t worthy of upset.”
Kevin added: “But as has been proven time and again in Shaun’s case, the victims and their families are completely forgotten about.
"The pain and suffering is compounded by the heartless and thoughtless way the so-called justice system operates.”
Kevin said the family had accepted Ibnomer’s release was expected and had come to terms with it.
He added: “We campaigned for a longer sentence but that wasn’t to be.
"We were pleased when the parole board refused his release three times and, while the original sentence was nowhere near adequate, Ibnomer has served the time he was given.”
Ibnomer and his gang caused chaos around Edinburgh before they arrived outside the Leith pub where Shaun was bringing in the New Year with friends.
Since Shaun’s death, the Woodburn family have been campaigning for changes to the justice system and won changes to protocols on multiple post-mortems on victims of crime.
Kevin said: “People say it gets better with time. It doesn’t.
"You deal with it differently but it never gets better, and never will.”
