Ex-pat found guilty of brother-in-law’s murder

A MAN was today beginning life behind bars after a jury convicted him of murdering his former brother-in-law almost 17 years ago.

James McGowan, 58, was found guilty of repeatedly stabbing Owen Brannigan in a house in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, in November 1999.

McGowan - who fled the murder scene to go back to his home in Australia – blew a kiss to his son, former Hearts player Ryan, who was sitting in the public benches of court room three at the High Court in Edinburgh.

McGowan Snr then placed his hand on his heart and looked at his son and other family members.

The emotional gesture came just a few minutes after a jury at court delivered their verdicts in the case. They had taken 24 hours to consider their decisions.

McGowan, who was extradited to stand trial in Scotland from his home in Adelaide, was also convicted of headbutting a cousin of Mr Brannigan’s at a Coatbridge social club.

The attack on Thomas Duggan came just a few hours before he inflicted 11 stab wounds on Mr Brannigan, who was once married to McGowan’s sister Carol.

On Tuesday, jurors broke off from their deliberations shortly before 11am and came back to court to return a unanimous verdict of guilt to the assault charge.

The jury of eight men and seven women returned a majority verdict of guilt to the murder charge.

Judge Lady Scott deferred sentence on McGowan for the court to obtain reports about his character.

But she told McGowan: “The law states that there is only one sentence which I can impose in a case with this charge – that is life.

“However, I must also fix a punishment part to your sentence - the punishment part is the sentence you must serve before you become eligible for parole.

“You will be brought before me again at a hearing next month.”