MURDER... THEN AMCDONALD’S
Thug went for fast food after killing pal in his own flat
A killer who treated himself to a Mcdonald’s meal moments after murdering a friend in a ‘brutal, sustained and excessively violent’ attack has been jailed for life.
Alan Richardson, 25, attacked Jamie Murray after the victim spilled paint on his denims at a house in Burnbank, Hamilton.
He struck exactly a month after he had been freed early from a jail term for serious assault.
Mr Murray, 24, had allowed Richardson, a former school friend, to live with him. But the thug, who has 21 previous convictions, stabbed the ex mother well FC groundsman and punched and kicked him during the assault.
He left his body lying in the flat before going on to enjoy a meal at the fast food giant. Richardson, a prisoner of HMP Barlinnie, pleaded guilty to murder earlier this year at the High Court in Glasgow.
But on Tuesday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Armstrong told Murray the only sentence available to him was life imprisonment. He said: “On January 20, 2018, having been released from prison one month earlier, you assaulted James Murray, in his own home in a brutal, sustained and excessively violent attack which resulted in
his death. You attacked him with a knife and inflicted blunt force trauma by repeatedly punching, kicking and stamping on his head and body.
“I must say at the outset, that I have no doubt that Mr Murray’s family have been deeply affected by this.
“Nothing I can say or do can compensate for their loss and I suspect that no sentence would ever be regarded as sufficient in their eyes.
“I have read and noted victim impact statements by Mr Murray’s parents.
“It is clear that your criminal actions have had the most devastating effect on their lives.”
During proceedings earlier this year, Lord Armstrong was told that Richardson had been freed early from jail on December 20, 2017.
This was despite being sentenced to two years in February of that year for assault to severe injury.
Richardson had made contact with Mr Murray soon after his release – the pair had once been pupils at Glasgow’s Hillpark Secondary.
Mr Murray’s parents didn’t like Richardson, and they“disapproved”of the friendship.
But after Richardson’s partner Lynn Wylie kicked him out of her house, the criminal moved in with Mr Murray – 10 days before the fatal attack.
The court heard that prior to the attack, the two had enjoyed a Chinese takeaway at Jamie’s house.
But at around midnight, a concerned neighbour heard a row and loud banging from the flat.
Richardson contacted his former partner at around 2am.
He was apparently “frantic”and told Lynn he had been in a fight with Jamie.
The killer then texted his 74-year-old grandmother and said“gran, I need to get out of here.”
He then said he“lost the rag”and“battered. His friend”.
Prosecutor Bernard Ablett said Richardson then got a taxi driver to take him to a Mcdonald’s restaurant in Hamilton, where he ordered food.
Mr Murray’s body wasn’t discovered until January 26.
The killer’s step-dad had gone to the flat because he hadn’t heard from Richardson for a few days. Police later arrested him. On Tuesday, Scotland’s most senior defence lawyer Gordon Jackson QC told the court that his client wanted to accept responsibility for his actions.
The Dean of the Faculty of Advocates added:“he was determined to plead guilty. He wanted to face up to what he had done.”
Passing sentence, Lord Armstrong told Richardson that he would have to serve 750 days of his previous sentence.
He would then have to serve 13 years one month before he would become eligible for parole.
Lord Armstrong added: “Persons sentenced to life imprisonment may become eligible for release on licence. When they are actually to be released on licence is a decision made not by the court but by the parole board for Scotland.”