Glasgow Man Convicted Of Brutal Daylight Murder

A Glasgow man has been convicted of the brutal murder of dad-of-one Stephen McGinlay in a busy street in broad daylight.

21-year-old Liam Strang was found guilty of stabbing Stephen in the neck with a knife or piece of glass. In St George's Road, Glasgow, on October 2, last year. The murder weapon has never been found.

His co-accused Brian Gallacher, 18, was convicted of the culpable homicide of Stephen.

Both men were also found guilty of assaulting Ryan Mason by pursuing him and hitting him on the head with a bottle.

Strang , who is facing life imprisonment, and Gallacher will be sentenced next month at the High Court in Livingston.

As he was led away to the cells Strang shouted to friends and family in the public gallery: Some you win and some you lose.

Throughout their trial at the High Court in Glasgow both men denied killing Stephen, who suffered unsurvivable injuries and was kept alive on a life support machine for three days.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC handed judge John Morris QC victim impact statements from Stephen's family.

Mr Prentice added: Mr McGinlay had a daughter and it is her first birthday today.

The family was reluctance to have the life support machine switched off, such was their sense of devastation.

Stephen, 26, was stabbed in the neck as he walked along St George's Road, Glasgow. Despite being fatally injured he managed to stagger into a nearby chip shop for help.

The wound to Stephen's neck cut two major blood vessels causing massive loss of blood.

The cause of death was his brain being starved of oxygen.

During a trial at the High Court in Glasgow no motive emerged for the killing and the murder weapon was never recovered.

However part of the attack was seen on CCTV footage. The jury was shown a car stopping and Strang and Gallacher getting out the car and putting their hoods up.

After the brutal killing they got back in the car and were driven off.

Stephens friend Ryan Mason was on the verge of tears giving evidence in court as he watched harrowing CCTV footage of the young dad collapsing in a chip shop shortly after being attacked.

The 20-year-old recalled how he was with Stephen and two other friends when they were ambushed.

Mr Mason was initially hit on the back of head with a bottle leaving him dazed in the street.

Asked did he recall what happened to his friend, he told the jury: My reaction to getting struck was just to get away - I did not know what was happening.

He added: By the time I came back around, Stephen was lying in the chip shop, full of blood.

Footage shown in court showed the wounded victim stagger into Pregos takeaway before eventually slumping at the doorway.

The trial was told Strang and Gallacher were arrested as part of the Operation Harrosh probe into the killing.

A Facebook photo of the pair together was later traced by detectives. No date was given for the snap.

It showed Gallacher wearing the same distinctive top worn on the day of the murder.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, said: Members of the public were going about their business in St George's Road, going to church, coming back from the gym, ordinary events on a typical Glasgow street. In the midst of that a brutal murder was committed by Liam Strang, and Brian Gallacher.

Mr Mason was struck on the head with a bottle by Gallacher and then Stephen was stabbed by Strang.

The Crown said that although it was Strang who struck the fatal blow, Gallacher was guilty on an art and part basis.

Defence counsel Neil Murray QC for Strang and John Scott QC for Gallacher will give their pleas in mitigation next month.