SNP's James Dornan charged with attempted murder as teen as MSP says he's triggered by Netflix Adolescence
James Dornan opened up about the traumatic experience decades ago
An SNP MSP has revealed he was charged with attempted murder when he was fifteen.
James Dornan said the traumatic experience from nearly 60 years ago sticks with him “like a curse”, he told the National.
He spoke out in the wake of Netflix hit drama Adolescence - the most watched UK title ever on the streaming service.
The drama, created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, is about a 13-year-old boy after he is arrested for murdering his schoolmate.
Dornan said he has found it too traumatic to watch the show, but has opened up about events 57 years ago in Glasgow.
The Glasgow Cathcart MSP said: “When you’re a young man, you do things without thinking of the repercussions and then the repercussions just expand and everyone is caught up in it. So, I didn’t want to watch any of that and I didn’t want to see two actors playing a very emotional role that I could see being my mum and dad.”
Dornan, now 72, told the newspaper the charges came from an altercation where he was with a group of friends and he punched a man in the southside of the city.
The newspaper reported: "A few days later, the police turned up to Dornan’s work, took him to the old Craigie Street police station and arrested – and eventually charged – him for attempted murder."
Although he was charged with attempted murder, it was eventually downgraded to common assault and he got off with a £15 fine and two years’ probation.
He recalled: “The first bad bit was when my dad came down [to the police station] because my dad was straight as a die and this sort of thing was just awful.
“I felt shame and fear. I felt shame my mum would be suffering but also that my dad was going to have to go through this and at the same time I felt fear because I had no idea what was going to happen to me.
“I am now 57 years away from that incident and I still feel responsible for lots of things that have happened because of it, how people felt because of that incident.
“I don’t think about it all the time but one of the problems I’ve got is I carry guilt about with me. It sticks with you like a curse. It never leaves you.”
He said of watching clips of the drama: “I find this quite traumatic and very difficult emotionally to look at something that triggers things that have happened in my past, having just seen the clips.”
“When you’re a young man, you do things without thinking of the repercussions and then the repercussions just expand, and everyone is caught up in it.
“I didn’t want to see two actors playing a very emotional role that I could see being my mum and dad.
“Stephen Graham is a magnificent actor. He acts with his heart, and I think that’s why I would’ve found it very difficult [to watch]. He reminds me of my dad.”
He added: “When you get into trouble, there’s a way out. You’re not trapped in that moment,” he said.
“If I had gone to prison for this, I would’ve come out a completely different person, and not a better person.
“If you get the opportunity, take it and try and move forward and try and make sure you can improve your life and try give something back, even if it’s just to yourself, because very often you’re the person suffering as much as anyone else.”
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