Glasgow man found guilty of killing mum's boyfriend with pool cue

A dad-of-three has been convicted of killing his mother's childhood sweetheart with a pool cue.

Kristopher Reynolds, 32, and his co-accused Martin Argyelan. 27, carried out the horrific attack at Reynold's mother home at Harbury Place, Glasgow, on May 11, last year.

Both , who have previous convictions for violence, were convicted of culpable homicide after trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Jurors heard that dad-of-four James Thomson died after a broken part of the cue was stabbed into his face under his eye and into his brain.

Reynolds and work mate Argyelan denied murdering Mr Thomson, but were convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

The court heard that Mr Thomson, 52, who was married, but separated, had moved in with Reynolds' mother Karen Millar in February 2018.

Mr Thomson and Ms Millar were boyfriend and girlfriend for a couple of years in their teens , but lost touch, until they were reunited through Facebook.

The night of the killing Mr Thomson was in bed and staff nurse Ms Millar was at work when the pair turned up at the house around 2am after a night out.

They began playing rap music loudly.

Mr Thomson, a mechanic with bus company McGills, who was working that day, asked the pair to turn down the music.

Tempers flared and Reynolds claimed he was punched on the face by Mr Thomson.

In evidence Reynolds said: “I was raging that I'd been assaulted after a day at work and a good night out. It all turned to rubbish. I was angry and I felt embarrassed.”

Reynolds told the court that he snapped the pool cue in two and went upstairs to confront Mr Thomson.

But, he told the jurors he never struck the fatal blow and claimed he just threw the pool cue at Mr Thomson, but said it missed him.

Argyelan admitted picking up part of the broken cue and striking t Mr Thomson with it, but denied murdering him.

He told police during an interview that he did this after Reynolds and Mr Thomson were fighting for about 10 minutes and said: “I was just trying to split it up.”

Reynolds' mother 53-year-old Karen Millar told the court that she and Mr Thomson had returned from a holiday to Spain on May 4 , last year, and Reynolds had invited him to play pool sometime.

She said: “Jim went back to work and brought the pool cue back one day in a bag. I asked him what it was and he said: 'It's a pool, cue.”

Prosecutor Bill McVicar asked Ms Millar: “Was Jim getting the cue an indication he was trying to get on with Kris,” and she replied: “Yes,” and then added: “They did get along.”

Ms Millar told the court that her son sent her a letter while he was on remand in prison.

In it Reynolds said: “He was a great guy, kind to me and certainly not deserving of what happened.

“Jim was one of the soundest guys and I know he made you happy. I would never have killed him.”

Mr McVicar said: “Mr Thomson is survived by his mother who is 80 and his siblings. He was separated from, but still married to his wife Sharon, and had four children.”

Judge Lord Matthews deferred sentence on both accused