Men go on trial accused of murdering Paisley dad

Two men are on trial accused of murdering dad-of-three Craig McClelland by stabbing him twice on the body with a knife in a Paisley street.

James Wright, 25, and Stuart McLellan, 28, deny murdering Mr McClelland at Tweed Avenue, Foxbar, Paisley, on July 23, 2017.

McLellan also denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by hiding a top worn by him.

No witnesses gave evidence in the High Court in Glasgow today.

But, a joint minute of evidence agreed by the prosecution and defence was read to the jurors by prosecutor Paul Brown.

The jury was told that Mr McClelland spent the hours before his death at home in Morar Drive, Foxbar, with his partner Stacy Wilcox, a student, and their three young sons, aged five, two and eight months old.

The couple were watching television and discussing a forthcoming holiday to Amsterdam.

Mr Brown said: “Mr McClelland left the house in a good mood at 11.15pm on his way to play X-box games with his friend Joe McLaughlin at his brother's house in Orchy Crescent.”

By 11.28pm he was lying dying in nearby Tweed Avenue being tended by an ambulance crew.

He was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, arriving there at 11.48pm complaining of chest pain, distress and shortness of breath.

At 12.40am Mr McClelland had a heart attack and was pronounced dead at 1.06am.

The jury was told that Mr McClelland's partner Miss Wilcox received a call telling her that he had been stabbed and attended hospital with other members of his family and were told he had died.

Police set up a secure cordon around Tweed Avenue and searched the area, but nothing of evidential value was discovered.

Mr McClelland's rucksack was found. It contained a tin of rolling tobacco, cigarette papers and an X-box games console and associated cables and controller. In Mr McClelland's pockets were a lighter and a small amount of cash.

The court heard that a number of Facebook messages sent between Wright and McLellan were recovered by police – one of which saw McLellan tell Wright he planned to attack someone with a blade.

The jury was also told that McLellan sent Wright a photograph of himself holding a lockback knife at 7.04pm on July 22, 2017.

The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.