A SALTCOATS woman who was part of a gang that tortured a vulnerable man to death has been jailed for 12 years.

Tragic Scott Blackwood, 30, was battered, stabbed, stamped on, strangled and tied to a bath before an attempt was made to set him on fire.

Georgina Smith, 22, unleashed the sickening violence on Scott – along with co-accused Allan Nicol, 36, and Thomas Moore, 26 – despite claiming that she loved him.

She was found guilty of culpable homicide.

Nicol and Moore were convicted of murdering Scott at Wheatley Road, Saltcoats, in July last year.

Last month they were jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 20 years each.

Judge Lord McEwan told Smith: “You have been found guilty by the jury of the culpable homicide of Scott Blackwood in a litany of horrific assaults on this young man.

“In your evidence you said you loved him, well each man kills the thing he loves and that is what you have done.” Lord McEwan said three victim impact statements from Scott's family revealed the consequences for them of his death are “dire to put it mildly.” Smith showed no emotion as she was led away to begin her sentence.

Scott was relentlessly bullied by the mob before he brutally set upon last July.

This included an allegation that Smith once threatened to pour a mixture of boiling water and sugar over Scott for no apparent reason.

Witness Sean Sinclair, 20, told how he went to Nicol’s home on the night of the horror and discovered an already badly beaten Scott.

He said Moore stood over Scott armed with a metal pole covered in blood.

In a police interview, he went on: “Tommy hit Scott with the bar-bell.

"Alan started laying into Scott on the side of the legs.

“Georgie was shouting ‘finish him, finish him’.

"Georgie just kept egging Tommy on.” The killers eventually dragged a dying Scott to his own home because Nicol was 'panicking' about the blood in his home.

But, the brutal assault continued as Smith whacked the victim while Nicol held him up.

Scott suffered 72 separate injuries including scalds and chemical burns.

He suffered 13 stabs wounds and three broken ribs.

His eye socket and cheekbones were smashed and he was strangled.

In a police interview, Smith told of how the incident was sparked by Moore hitting Scott on the nose with a metal bar.

She said: “I could hear the sound of bone crunching and Allan was shouting at Scott: 'Lick your blood'.

“Scott was shaking and crying.

"Tommy poured a bottle of turps over him and Allan stamped on his face.

"Part of his ear was bitten off.” Scott was then dragged from Nicol's house to his own home after Nicol said: “I don't want him dying in here." He was further attacked and left lying on his back.

His killers went back to Nicol's house and washed their blood-stained clothes in a bid to escape justice.

The murderous attack began in Nicol's home and Scott was then dragged half dead to his own home just a few doors down the street.

There he was taken to the bathroom and tied to the bath with a ligature and had turps poured over him.

Some of the horrific injuries were inflicted as he lay dead or dying.

During his ordeal Scott was struck with a piece of wood, a metal bar and a knife.

He was strangled with a tie, tied by the neck to a bath, bound by his ankles with a dog lead, and then white spirit was poured over him and set on fire.

Defence QC Neil Murray, representing Smith, said that she was a vulnerable young woman who had had a horrific upbringing and childhood.

He told the court : “Miss Smith continues to deny any involvement in the death of Mr Blackwood,” and added: “However, she broke down in tears when asked by a social worker about Mr Blackwood's death." "And said she knew how the family must feel to an extent because she has lost someone close to her.”