Father of ex-Hearts footballer jailed for life
The father of ex-Hearts footballer Ryan McGowan has been jailed for life for the murder of his former brother-in-law.
The father of ex-Hearts footballer Ryan McGowan has been jailed for life for the murder of his former brother-in-law.
James McGowan was today locked up for a minimum 18 years after he stabbed to death Owen Brannigan in 1999.
The thug knifed Mr Brannigan a total of 11 times. A jury heard how there had been bad blood between McGowan's family and the 47 year-old victim.
The attack in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire occurred after McGowan returned from Australia for his mother's funeral.
He then fled justice – but helped get himself snared in 2012 when he told helpline counsellors that he had killed a man.
The 58 year-old was today jailed at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier been convicted of murder.
Lady Scott said he was guilty of a “brutal and cowardly” attack.
The judge went on: “You took it upon yourself on a brief return for your mother's funeral to seek out Mr Brannigan and murder him in a pre-meditated act of revenge.”
McGowan's son Ryan was in court to see his dad jailed for life.
The pair exchanged brief smiles as the killer was lead handcuffed to the cells.
A trial in Edinburgh heard how Mr Brannigan had been married to McGowan's sister Carol before divorcing in 1984.
However, there remained ill-feeling between the McGowan family and Mr Brannigan in the lead up to the murder.
The killer pounced after a night-out at a social club in his former hometown of Coatbridge.
After the stabbing, McGowan then returned to Australia earlier than planned.
But, in 2012, McGowan called a helpline there stating that something was “slowly eating away” at him.
He added: "Once you've crossed the line and you jump back... you know you can always go across the line.
"Some people can't go across it and I know I went and done it and it's a frightening thing - a frightening thing to deal with.
"You go 'Jesus, I can't kill people. But I did.'"
McGowan was later extradited back from Australia to face trial.
The case was one of the first to be investigated by the Crown Office in Scotland's cold case unit.
McGowan denied the allegation pinning the blame on another man.