The widow of Keith Rollinson has hit out after his young killer was granted the right to appeal his sentence.
Mr Rollinson, a 58-year-old bus driver from Elgin, died last February after being attacked at the town’s bus station.
Bus driver Keith Rollinson who died last February.
His teenage killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced in November to four year and four months for culpable homicide.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has now granted the 16-year-old permission to appeal on January 14.
The same organisation earlier denied Mr Rollinson’s widow, Susan, the right to appeal that the teenager’s sentence had been too lenient.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the mum-of-two said “I knew that any amount of time they gave him wouldn’t bring Keith back, but all I wanted was for Keith to get justice.
“His killer will be out before he is 20, enjoying himself, and no one will ever know.
“So, who’s being punished here? I’ve got a life sentence without Keith.”
The teenager, now aged 16 but who was 15 at the time of offence, was sentenced at the High Court in Inverness.
Passing sentence, Lady Hood said the youth had been drunk which had prompted Mr Rollinson to refuse him entry onto the bus.
The boy then began filming the driver on his mobile phone, which was taken away from him and stamped on.
The judge said Mr Rollinson did not retaliate when the teenager launched what was described as a “frenzied attack”. However, he later lost consciousness after bending over to pick his hat off the ground and was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital.
He died on February 3.
The test for whether the Court of Appeal allows an appeal by Copfs that a sentence has been too lenient is not whether the judges agree with it or not.
Instead it must be outwith the range of sentences, taking account of all relevant factors, could reasonably have imposed.
A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “We met recently with the family of Mr Rollinson to listen to their concerns and explain the factors which judges are legally obliged to take into account for sentencing.
“Senior Crown Counsel fully respected the views they expressed while also evaluating whether the strict requirements, as set out by the Appeal Court, for an unduly lenient appeal were met.
“The decision not to appeal the sentence, which was not taken lightly, was discussed with Mr Rollinson’s loved ones.”