Three men face life sentences for brutal Glasgow murder

Three violent thugs who brutally murdered a man in his own home in a frenzied attack are facing life sentences. Paul Green, Lee Noonan and Robbie Brown were convicted of the vicious murder of defenceless James Watt who was attacked with knives and a golf club in the living room of his flat in Copland Quadrant , Glasgow, on February 23.

Green was also convicted of assaulting Mr Watt with a pick axe handle earlier that day.

Mr Watt was stabbed six times and smashed repeatedly over the head and body with a golf club with such force it broke in two.

Judge Lord Summers told them: “This was a vile and brutal crime.”

He added: “There is only sentence I can impose and that is life imprisonment. I have to determine the punishment part which is the minimum sentence you will serve.”

Lord Summers deferred sentence on all three until January next year.

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser told the court after the verdict that all three men have convictions for violence.

Green has a conviction for assault and Noonan and Brown have convictions for assault and robbery with a knife.

The court heard that Scotrail maintenance worker Green, 31, went looking for Mr Watt, nicknamed Scudger, after being told he had attacked his father with a bottle.

Armed with a pick axe handle and a knife he drove the streets of Govan at lunchtime looking for him.

When Green saw Mr Watt walking along Carmichael Strreet, Glasgow, he stopped his white BMW and got out and ran at Mr Watt, who denied assaulting his father, hitting him at least four times with the pick axe handle.

In evidence Green said: “I was trying to scare him. He was saying it wasn't him that hit my dad. “

Not content with that, around lunchtime Green hooked up with two strangers Noonan and Brown who were roaming the streets armed with knives. Noonan also had a golf club.

Noonan, 21, from Ibrox, Glasgow, and Brown, 18, from Edinburgh, were looking for three men they thought wanted to fight them, but were happy to link up with Green and head to Mr Watt's home in Copland Quadrant.

Once inside they attacked him with their weapons inflicting dozens of injuries.

Mr Watt's body was found later that day slumped in the living room floor by his father George, who is a publican.

Green gave evidence blaming the other two for the murder and claimed that Noonan told him: “I gave Scudger a kicking.”

Noonan also gave evidence and said that Green was the killer. He claimed that neither he nor Brown ever went into the living room.

The trio were snared by forensic evidence. An imprint of Brown's left Nike Airmax 90 trainer was found on the sofa of Mr Watt's living room and his blood was found on the trainer.

A broken golf shaft which Noonan was seen leaving the murder flat with matched bruising on Mr Watt's body.

CCTV footage of all three out in Govan in broad daylight armed with weapons and running away from the murder scene also helped to convict the trio.

As the trio were led away to the cells Brown smiled.