Man Facing Life Sentence for Murdering Partner

A man is facing a life sentence after being convicted of murdering the partner he "loved to bits" by stabbing her three times. Steven McCall, 43, killed Senga Closs at their home in Uddingston on April 4 or 5. The fatal wound went through her heart. The High Court in Glasgow heard that just days before 47-year-old Senga was murdered by McCall she told her best friend June Grey that he spat in her dinner and tried to strangle her. On the night of the murder the couple rowed and McCall stabbed his partner of seven years three times with a kitchen knife and then left her to die in the kitchen. Advocate depute Angela Gray, prosecuting, said: "He plunged the knife into her. Again and again and again. "Senga's hands were cut as she tried in vain to defend herself from his murderous attack." The court heard that McCall's shoes and trousers were stained with her blood. When his sister Jacqueline McCall phoned him just after midnight he confessed to her that he had stabbed Senga with a screwdriver. But, he didn't phone an ambulance or try to help Senga, until 22 minutes after admitting the stabbing to his sister. During the trial McCall denied killing his partner of seven years and blamed his best friend Mark Hernon or someone unknown. In evidence Mr Hernon denied killing Senga and said he was not at the couple's house that night. Defence QC Derek Ogg also suggested that Senga might have been killed in a robbery. But, Miss Gray told the jury: "If it was a robber he has left the telephone handbag, money - all there in the kitchen." McCall's sister Jacqueline told police: "My brother told me he had stabbed Senga with a screwdriver and that he was standing in a pool of blood." In evidence McCall claimed that he found his partner lying dead or dying covered in blood and had nothing to do with her death. He said: "I was her carer. I loved her to bits. I've not done a thing wrong not a thing wrong. I know I am in the clear." He said he couldn't remember saying to his sister that he had stabbed Senga. McCall told police who arrived on the scene: "The only thing I can think is she's let someone in the house and it has all went wrong." The jury didn't believe him and convicted him of murder. Judge Lord Matthews deferred sentence until January on McCall. He will then determine the minimum period McCall must serve behind bars before being eligible for parole.