Man Battered his Friend to Death

A killer battered a friend to death - while awaiting sentence for an earlier attack on him. William Jackson fatally assaulted Walter Littlejohn at the 51 year-old's flat in Govanhill, Glasgow in July this year. He had days earlier told a nurse that he wanted to punch the 56 year-old "all the time" - but no action was taken. Jackson had already been convicted of attacking his friend in 2013. He faced a murder allegation when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow. But, prosecutors instead accepted his guilty to the reduced charge of culpable homicide. Jackson was remanded in custody and will learn his fate in the New Year. The court heard - that days before the killing - Jackson spoke to a nurse claiming Mr Littlejohn was making him upset and that he wanted to "punch him all the time". Prosecutor Allan Nicol said: "The following day, he was seen by a psychiatrist and although he described himself as 'angry', the doctor apparently had no further concerns about him." This was despite Jackson already being on bail for assaulting Mr Littlejohn in July 2013. The sentencing had been adjourned until December this year. Jackson then went on to kill his friend at his flat in the city's Jamieson Street. The death came to light on August 1 when Jackson called an ambulance claiming he had found Mr Littlejohn lying dead in a chair. A paramedic arrived and found Mr Littlejohn had passed away, but saw "nothing obviously suspicious". Jackson told police that Mr Littlejohn had come to his door on August 1 already apparently injured. He said he had later found his friend had stopped breathing and he had called for help. Jackson denied at that time he had fought with Mr Littlejohn. He instead claimed Mr Littlejohn had earlier been involved in a "handbags" fight with another person. A post mortem found Mr Littlejohn had been assaulted. He was found to have bleeding in the skull, rib fractures, injuries to his bowel and liver as well as bruising. It was also found he had defensive-type injuries. Jackson later changed his position with the police and admitted Mr Littlejohn had stayed at his flat between July 31 and August 1. Officers then took a pair of trainers from Jackson's flat as they continued to probe the death. One of them was found to have Mr Littlejohn's blood on it while the pattern on the sole matched bruising on the victim's chest. A piece of the dead man's hearing aid was discovered in a bin and a pool of blood was seen under a couch. The court heard it is thought Mr Littlejohn was beaten to death in Jackson's living room. Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentencing until next month for reports.