Trial for five accused of murder threat sword attack Court told couple were barricaded in flat

A woman and four men are facing trial accused of storming a Renfrewshire home armed with swords – before threatening to murder a woman and a man who had barricaded themselves inside.

Kerri Ann McGrath, Shane McGrath, James Murdoch, Dean McLean and Graham Gillespie are said to have carried out the alleged incident in Renfrew.

Prosecutors claim they behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by their alleged actions at a flat in the town’s Paisley Road.

Kerri Ann McGrath, 31, is also accused of battering their alleged victims – Jade Campbell and Shaun Boyle – by raining blows on their head with a truncheon.

Murdoch, 32, is accused of assaulting a man named Raymond Burns by holding a sword at his neck.

The details emerged when the five accused made their first public appearance in connection with the prosecution against them at Paisley Sheriff Court this week.

The face a total of four charges stemming from the events of June 17 this year.

Kerri Ann McGrath, is accused of assaulting Miss Campbell by pulling a knife on her, threatening to stab her and then repeatedly striking her on the head with a truncheon.

She also faces a charge of assaulting Mr Boyle by repeatedly striking him on the head with a truncheon.

Kerri Ann, Murdoch, Shane, 56, McLean, 25, and Gillespie, 25, all deny a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive way by entering the flat in question “whilst in possession of swords” and repeatedly striking a door with the swords while Miss Campbell and Mr Boyle had barricaded themselves behind it, and threatening to murder them.

When the case against them called in court this week, and they all pleaded not guilty to the charges, Sheriff Seith Ireland adjourned the case until November for a trial to take place.