A knife killer who stabbed a 16-year-old boy has failed in his bid to be free after serving just three-and-a-half years in jail.
Thug Lee McAuley has been told by parole board chiefs he won't be released early from sentence for stabbing promising footballer Luke Wallace in June 2016.
Luke's mum Angela said she was "happy" about the decision and said it had "restored her faith in the justice system."
Last week we told how Angela had begged the parole board to make McAuley serve out his full seven-year sentence for killing Luke after it was revealed he was eligible to apply for parole this week.
McAuley, 20, stabbed Luke in the groin in Ballieston, Glasgow in June 2016 leading to the youngster, who played for Drumchapel Amateur Football Club, suffering severe blood loss following damage to the femoral vein. He died eight days later in Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Thug McAulay, from Easterhill Place in Glasgow, was originally sentenced to nine years after being found guilty of killing Luke but this was reduced to seven years by appeal judges.
Angela said: "Although nothing can ever bring our Luke back, our faith in the justice system has been restored after all we have been through. We're grateful to the support we've received from the public and would like to thank everyone for their support."
In her letter she wrote: 'Four years and four months have passed since our lives changed forever when we suffered the devastating loss of our Luke at the young age of only 16.
'The realisation that his killer could be released on parole after serving only half of his sentence is a complete injustice, not only to Luke and our family, who have been dealt a life sentence, but also all victims of knife crime and their families.'
Angela told the parole board her young son was a "typical 16-year-old who loved life and had many friends and was very popular.
She said: 'He was full of fun and laughter and lit up any room. He had a big heart and was loved dearly by all. Football was his big passion and had many ambitions which will remain unfulfilled because he crossed paths with his killer on 17 June 2016.
'Luke will never achieve the milestones we all take for granted, learning to drive, holidays with friends, his first pint in a pub at 18 and ultimately settling down one day and having a family.'
It will be another year before he will be able to apply for parole again and he will now remain in HMP Polmont young offenders institution, near Falkirk.
