Pensioner who attacked OAP friend with knife jailed
76 year old William Sweeney locked up for 13 months for assaulting 68 year old Edward Wotherspoon in a Glasgow bar
A convicted murderer who assaulted his pensioner friend in a Glasgow pub because he owed him money has been jailed for 13 months.
William Sweeney assaulted 68 year old Edward Wotherspoon who was in the Sir John Stirling Maxwell bar in Shawlands socialising.
76 year old Sweeney went in shouting and tried to hit his friend with a knife he had in his right hand.
He also tried to punch Mr Wotherspoon, before being escorted out of the hostelry on Kilmarnock Road in January this year.
Sweeney has a previous conviction from 1964 from London Central Court for murder and a High Court conviction from 2001 for assault to severe injury.
Sweeney pled guilty to repeatedly attempting to punch Mr Wotherspoon and strike him on the head with a knife.
Sheriff Sam Cathcart sentenced Sweeney to 13 months in prison for his crime.
The court heard Mr Wotherspoon and Sweeney had been friends for years.
Around 5pm the victim and some friends were in the pub, sitting near the bar when Sweeney came in shouting.
His voice was instantly recognised his voice and he was spotted with a silver stanley knife.
Procurator fiscal depute John Bedford said: “He attempted to strike the complainer on the face with the knife.”
He told the court Sweeney tried to punch the complainer on the head.
Those nearby intervened and knife was taken off of him, and he was ushered out of the pub and the police called.
When police later spoke to him he told them: “I went in to the pub to ask Mr Wotherspoon for money he owed me for ages.
“He pushed me, I pushed him back.”
Defence lawyer Bill McCluskey said: “Mr Sweeney has been quite clear from the start he wanted this matter resolved.”
He added that his client’s initial recollection was not supported by CCTV but that Sweeney now “accepts full his responsibility for it”.