Attempted murder over just £35
A COUPLE tried to murder a pensioner and his son during a £35 robbery.
Mark Lafferty, 53, and his partner Adeline Clark, 41, waved a knife at Christine McCowan, 68, and forced their way into the house where they robbed her of a purse - but only made off with £35.
When upstairs they launched the knife attack on 71-year-old Dennis McCowan and his son, Mark, 46, when they barged in with their faces masked.
Lafferty and Clark, from Barlanark, have been convicted of attempting to murder the father and son, and assaulting Christine.
They had denied the attack.
A COUPLE have been convicted of attempting to murder a pensioner and his son in their own home.
Mark Lafferty, 53 and his partner Adeline Clark, 41, presented a knife at Christine McCowan, 68, and forced their way into the house where they robbed her of a purse - but only made off with £35.
When upstairs they launched the knife attack on 71-year-old Dennis McCowan and his son, Mark, 46 when they barged in with their faces masked.
The injured men were able to flee the house at Loancroft Place, Baillieston on December 2 last year.
Mark ran to a neighbour where his mother was and the police were called, while Dennis made his way into the back garden and waited for the emergency services.
Yesterday, Lafferty and Clark, from Barlanark in Glasgow’s East End were convicted of attempting to murder the father and son, and assaulting Christine. Mum-of-two Clark sobbed as the jury returned their verdict but Lafferty showed no emotion.
The court heard he has a number of previous convictions including three from the High Court.
During the trial they denied being responsible for the attack. Lafferty claimed he was either at home in Barlanark three miles away, or walking his dog.
Clark told the court that at the time of the incident she was fixing the fence in the garden to stop the dog escaping.
In evidence, Dennis described seeing Lafferty standing over his son’s bed with a blade above his head in the attic of his house, and threw him downstairs.
The retired garage owner saw Clark on the landing of his end terraced property, with a scarf covering some of her face, where she stabbed him in the chest.
The elderly man was “pleading for mercy” as she attacked him and demanded cash.
Mark said he would have been “chopped up” if his dad hadn’t intervened when Lafferty came into the house.
He described Clark as “stab happy”, attacking him with a knife as he ran past her down the stairs of the house and out the door. Judge Lady Stacey deferred sentencing until next month.