Glasgow man murders partner - after she slept with his best friend
A Glasgow brutally murdered his lover – after she had sex with his best friend.
A Glasgow brutally murdered his lover – after she had sex with his best friend.
James McCarten flew into a rage when he discovered Anna Rosenberg (43) in his bedroom with widower Alan McLean.
The thug left Anna – the daughter of a university professor – with more than 100 injuries after battering her to death.
The 51 year-old then left his flat in Glasgow's Maryhill – to go and watch a boxing match on TV.
Details of the horrific attack emerged as McCarten stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
He denied being a murderer – tearfully telling a jury how he had loved Anna “so much” and had planned to marry her.
But, he was found guilty and now faces life in jail when he returns to the dock next month.
The trial heard how McCarten had been dating Anna for around 18 months.
The mum had a house in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, but often spent time at her boyfriend's flat.
She was described as a keen gym-goer who would “not harm a fly”.
Last year, McCarten allowed fellow builder Alan McLean to stay with him after he had split from his lover.
But, McLean repaid his lifelong friend's generosity by bedding Anna.
The 62 year-old told how he and the mum had sex in McCarten's bed while he was out on May 2 last year.
The pair were stunned when they suddenly heard McCarten return home.
The killer arrived to find his friend hastily trying to put his clothes on while a terrified Anna lay in the bed.
McLean recalled: “He was shouting and bawling – 'how could you do this to me'.
“Anna kept saying she was sorry, she was crying. James was upset, but that was understandable.”
McLean said McCarten went on to headbutt him – after asking him to take his glasses off.
Raging McCarten then kicked his friend out before launching a murderous attack on Anna.
The burly killer repeatedly punched and kicked his petrified lover leaving the flat a bloodbath.
The trial heard Anna – who he also tried to throttle – suffered a horrific 122 injuries including multiple fractured ribs.
McCarten went on to walk out his flat to watch a boxing match at a friend's house.
McCarten claimed it was the next day when he returned that he realised Anna was dead.
In a 999 call, he said Anna was “not right” and “would not wake up”.
The court heard he tried to clean up the property – and bizarrely put clothes on a naked Anna.
He gave evidence during the trial and repeatedly sobbed: “Why would I murder the girl?”
McCarten admitted being responsible for the death, but insisted he did not “realise the extent” of his savage attack.
He said prior to the killing May 2 had been a “happy day” after getting a new job and he had also bought a pup for Anna.
But, he said he got a “terrible shock” when he walked in on his friend and Anna.
He wept: “I thought: 'how could two people who are meant to love you do that?'.”
McCarten admitted he “saw red” and “unleashed” a “lot of blows” on Anna.
However, the thug insisted when he initially left his home, he did not believe Anna was dead.
McCarten – who offered to plead guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide – said he knew he had “destroyed” his lover's family.
He went on: “I was happy that day, joy...why would I murder someone when life was great?”
“I should not have done it – I should just have thrown the pair of them out.”
But, prosecutor Tim Niven Smith put to him that Anna had been “pummelled to a pulp” adding McCarten was someone who appeared “easily riled”.
McCarten was also convicted of assaulting McLean as well as a separate charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The prosecution said during the trial McCarten "exacted revenge" for Anna cheating on him.
It also emerged that the killer had his lover marked as "slut" in the contacts of his mobile phone.