Wishaw man guilty of 'battering life' out of mum's ex-partner

A Wishaw man has been found guilty of beating his mum’s ex-partner to death.

John Forsyth was said to have "battered the life" out of Barry Evans in November 2022.

The 29-year-old had stormed over to his mum's home in the Lanarkshire town having discovered Barry was there with his dog Thor.

The 47-year-old suffered "catastrophic and unsurvivable" injuries - including a blood clot on the brain - following the unprovoked attack.

Forsyth had claimed to be acting in self-defence.

But, jurors rejected this and found him guilty of culpable homicide following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Forsyth had been on bail but was remanded in custody by judge Lord Young.

He repeatedly shook his head at jurors as he was led to the cells. Relatives also angrily left the courtroom.

Barry had been the partner of Forsyth's mum 10 years earlier.

He was latterly said to have been badly affected after losing his job.

He was taking medication for anxiety and had been in hospital the day before the attack.

A neighbour had last saw him that morning when he gave the woman and her children a wave.

For some reason, he had ended up at the home of Forsyth's mum while she was out.

Another son had come back to initially find Barry's dog there and then the victim lying on a bed.

The court heard it was Forsyth who then "rushed over to deal" with Barry.

Prosecutors stated the man passed away two days later in hospital having suffered repeated blunt force trauma to the head and body by means unknown.

The injuries also included jaw fractures, broken teeth, black eyes and extensive bruising - some caused by Barry desperately trying to protect himself.

Blood marks were consistent with him being repeatedly hit as he lay on a bed.

Forsyth's brother had texted their sister stating: "Johnny's just battered the life out of him."

Forsyth stated during a 999 call that "a random person" he assaulted was "dying". He claimed not to know who the man was.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Vish Kathuria referred to prison phone calls after Forsyth had been held for the death.

The killer was said to boasted that he had "battered" someone who had apparently "broke into" his mum's house.

Mr Kathuria told jurors it appeared Forsyth and his father seemed "proud" of what he had done.

The advocate depute: "That is perhaps best summed up when his dad jokingly said he was going to call him 'iron fist'.

"You might think, regardless of how the situation unfolded, there is nothing funny about Barry Evans losing his life in these circumstances."

Forsyth accepted assaulting Barry and had left him in "some nick" - but insisted he had been defending himself.

He claimed in his evidence that he had been "petrified" at his mum's house and that there had been "a reaction" from Barry.

But, Mr Kathuria said the thug had not mentioned at the time anything about an apparent "lunge" at him by the victim.

The prosecutor added the self-defence claim may have been "created to try and get him off the charge".

Lord Young adjourned sentencing until August 26 in Edinburgh.