Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
My son’s killer should be jailed for longer
Anger over 7-year sentence for partner
The heartbroken mum of a Coatbridge man who died after his callous lover struck him with a bottle of bourbon she’d bought for his birthday has slammed the sentence handed down to her son’s killer.
Speaking exclusively to the Advertiser, Agnes McGrogan revealed how she saw her son James, 54, just hours before his death – and that her own partner passed away just weeks after James was violently killed.
Agnes and the rest of the McGrogan family have been left “absolutely devastated” after Alexis Cook killed James at his flat in March, just hours after he had met his estranged son for the first time in several years.
Cook struck James with a “Jim Beam bottle” and left him under a duvet in the hall for “about nine hours” with “significant head trauma” before heading to a nearby flat wearing bloodstained pyjamas.
The 32- year- old was originally charged with murder but pled guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide and was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison by Lord Mulholland earlier this month.
Mum Agnes was in court to see Cook’s punishment handed down but hit out at the “lenient” sentence.
The devastated 72-year-old said: “She will still be a young woman – in her 30s – when she gets out but I have lost my son, she took his life away.
“I thought she’d get longer and was shocked when her initial sentence of eight years and nine months was reduced because she pled guilty.
“I think it should be like it is in America – if you take a life you get life.”
Agnes went on: “In court, all that was spoken about was her. I don’t think enough was said about my son.
“Only two people were there that day and know the full story, and of course, my son isn’t here to share it.
“They’re saying it wasn’t murder as it wasn’t premeditated but I don’t really understand that train of thought.”
Sadly, Agnes’s ordeal wasn’t restricted to losing her son.
She explained: “I lost my partner James to a sudden illness just eight weeks after my son was killed.
“We had known each other for 18 years and my son’s death hit him very hard.”
Agnes’s son leaves behind three children, Stephen, James and Stacey, and a granddaughter, as well as brothers John and Stewart and sister Angela.
“The family are all absolutely devastated by James’s death,” said Agnes.
“His brother John stayed two floors down from him and used to have a cup of coffee ready for James every morning.
“It has been a horrible time and James leaves a massive void in all of our lives. It’s especially hard with Christmas coming up.
“Everyone liked James. He was a placid, quiet man who loved having a laugh.
“I don’t think I will ever get over it. Some mornings I just don’t want to get up out of bed.”
James and killer Cook had been together for two years and Agnes had no reason to suspect the relationship would end in tragedy.
She said: “There were no obvious signs of any issues. I got on fine with her and used to take her to the bingo. I just can’t believe what she did.
“It was horrible to hear that James had been left under a duvet for hours. If she had called for help right away th then he h might i ht still till b be with ith us.” ”
Agnes added: “I was there on James’s birthday to give him cards and he was happy.
“I left about 5.30pm and said cheerio to him. He replied, ‘I love you mum. I will see you tomorrow’. “Sadly I never saw him again. “It took seven weeks for us to get James cremated due to the investigations, which was probably the hardest part of it all.
“I just wanted the chance to say goodbye to my son.”
James’ daughter Stacey was also left angry and frustrated by Cook’s sentence. She told us: “The family weren’t too happy about the plea deal as it was sprung on us 20 minutes before the murder trial was supposed to start.
“We also feel like seven years and three months isn’t long enough. But at least it was something. Many other families don’t get any justice at all when they lose someone in this awful fashion.
“We just wish Alexis had called the ambulance straight away instead of leaving dad under the duvet for about nine hours.”
Locking up Cook, Lord Mulholland told her: “You did not summon help and left him to his fate. His fate was death. He was much loved by his family and is dearly missed. His death had a profound effect on them.”