Glasgow Times

Killer trio face prison

- BY WILMA RILEY

THREE men who brutally killed a man in his own home face life in prison.

Paul Green, Lee Noonan and Robbie Brown were convicted of murdering James Watt in February after attacking him with knives and golf clubs.

THREE violent thugs who brutally murdered a man in his own home in a frenzied attack face life sentences.

Paul Green, Lee Noonan and Robbie Brown were convicted of the vicious murder of defenceles­s James Watt, who was attacked with knives and a golf club in the living room of his flat in Copland Quadrant, Ibrox, on February 23.

Green was also convicted of assaulting Mr Watt with a pick axe handle earlier that day.

Mr Watt was stabbed six times and smashed repeatedly over the head and body with a golf club with such force it broke in two.

Judge Lord Summers told them: “This was a vile and brutal crime.”

He added: “There is only one sentence I can impose and that is life imprisonme­nt. I have to determine the punishment part which is the minimum sentence you will serve.”

Lord Summers deferred sentence on all three until January next year.

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser told the court after the verdict that all three men have conviction­s for violence.

Green has a conviction for assault and Noonan and Brown have conviction­s for assault and robbery with a knife.

The court heard Scotrail maintenanc­e worker Green, 31, went looking for Mr Watt, nicknamed Scudger, after being told he had attacked his father with a bottle.

Armed with a pick axe handle and a knife he drove the streets of Govan at lunchtime looking for him.

When Green saw Mr Watt walking along Carmichael Street he stopped his white BMW and got out and ran at Mr Watt, who denied assaulting his father, hitting him at least four times with the pick axe handle.

In evidence Green said: “I was trying to scare him. He was saying it wasn’t him that

‘‘ This was a vile and brutal crime

hit my dad.”

Around lunchtime Green hooked up with strangers Noonan and Brown, who were roaming the streets armed with knives. Noonan also had a golf club.

Noonan, 21, from Ibrox, and Brown, 18, from Edinburgh, were looking for three men they thought wanted to fight them, but were happy to link up with Green and head to Mr Watt’s home in Copland Quadrant.

Once inside they attacked him with their weapons inflicting dozens of injuries.

Mr Watt’s body was found later that day slumped in the living room floor by his father George, who is a publican.

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