Tragic Craig murder rap man is back in the dock

A yob cleared of murdering a young Paisley dad has been handed supervision and unpaid work by a sheriff.

Stuart McLellan, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs and stealing bottles of alcohol from a Paisley supermarket when he appeared in the dock yesterday.

McLellan, known as Disco”was the co- accused in the violent killing of Foxbar dad- of- three Craig McLelland, who was brutally stabbed to death in the town’s Tweed Avenue by McLellan’s friend James Wright, 27, in July 2017.

However, a jury at the High Court in Glasgow found the charges against McLellan not proven, therefore acquitting him of the charge, after he gave evidence in the witness box against Wright.

Yesterday McLellan, formely of Elizabethan Way in Renfrew, appeared before Sheriff Seith Ireland and admitted responsibility for drugs and theft raps in the town.

Procurator fiscal depute Ruth Cockburn told the court: “The offence relates to his stealing alcohol, bottles of wine, worth £40.79. There was no recovery of the goods.”

She added that McLellan also visited the same shop, a Tesco supermarket in the town’s Renfrew Road, where he again stole drink.

She said: “The offence again relates to his stealing alcohol. This time the value was £ 9.45 and there as no recovery.”

Ms Cockburn said McLellan was found with 11 tablets of etizolam, known as a street Valium, when he was arrested by cops.

He pleaded guilty to possession charges on January 18, last year, and to offences of shoplifting at Tesco on April 13, and June 3, last year, when he appeared in the dock.

Defence advocate Paul Coyle said told the court McLellan had moved away from the area and was now working and living in Glasgow where he was attempting to make a fresh start.

He said: “These offences date from last year and he is in full time employment and living in Glasgow.

“My suggestion would be whether your lordship would consider deferring sentence for six months. He has taken steps to address problems experienced in his former jurisdiction.”

Sheri f f I reland said McLellan has a “troubled history.”

He added: “You have a troubled history, a history of offending. Clearly this is further offending and you could well go to custody.

“However, I have formed the view that I can deal with you with a non custodial sentence and supervision.”

He handed McLellan, now of Sandyhills, Glasgow, supervision for 12 months and ordered he perform 150 hours of unpaid work, and sign up to a drugs/ drink abstinence program.

He also was ordered back to court in six months for review of his behaviour.