Jury hears accused threatened bouncer

A PUB bouncer was told his life would be made hell after he threw out a man later accused of murdering three members of a family, a court has heard.

Jay Jamieson, 40, told the High Court in Glasgow that Scott Snowden was asked to leave the Garth Inn in West Clyde Street, Helensburgh, on June 13, 2009. He said Snowden, 37, was barred under a Pubwatch system.

The court heard that in the early hours of June 19 the pub went up in flames.

The jury was told the pub was one of the most popular in the town.

Mr Jamieson said there was a struggle when Snowden was asked to leave.

He was giving evidence at the trial of Snowden and Robert Jennings, 50, who deny the murders of Thomas Sharkey Sr, 55, his son Thomas Sharkey Jr, 21, and his daughter Bridget, eight, on August 10, 2011.

He said: “He said he wasn’t leaving until he had finished his drink. We had a bit of a struggle getting the tumbler out of his hand and then we walked him out.”

Mr Jamieson said that outside Snowden’s girlfriend appeared in her car. Before Snowden got into it the bouncer said he turned to him and threatened him.

Manageress Nina D’Ambrosio, 29, said she was wakened about 4am on June 19, 2009, by police at her door. She said: “I went to the Garth by taxi and I saw fire engines and police cars there. The pub was e x t e n s i ve l y damaged.”

Ms D’Ambroio told the jury the pub employed between 12 and 15 people.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice, QC, asked her: “What happened to their jobs.”

And she replied: “We all had to find new jobs.”

The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.