Grandfather killed teen with snapped golf club

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 10:14

A GRANDFATHER is facing a life sentence after stabbing a teenage neighbour to death with a broken golf club during a drunken brawl.

Colin Gourlay, 48, murdered 19-year-old Daniel Hambleton near his home in Kippielaw Park, Mayfield, Dalkeith.

Today Mr Hambleton's mother Lorraine paid tribute to her "lovely, happy-go-lucky boy" and branded his attacker "evil".

She said: "He had his whole life ahead of him. He wanted to be a joiner. His life revolved around his girlfriend Nicole and they spoke about getting married.

"Colin Gourlay is nothing but an evil coward who picked on a young boy."

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Hambleton had been knocked to the ground after Gourlay's son, Dean, chased him and threw the head of the golf club at him. The father and son then repeatedly kicked Mr Hambleton.

Advocate depute Keith Stewart said: "Colin Gourlay picked up the golf club head and struck the deceased with it, aiming a downward blow in a stabbing motion with the broken shaft of the club.

"The broken end penetrated the skull," said the prosecutor. The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and found to have suffered an extensive brain injury.

Mr Stewart said: "It was clear to the medical and surgical staff treating him that he could not survive the injuries."

Gourlay, and his 25-year-old son, of Carlowrie Avenue, Dalmeny, a father-of-two, were both originally charged with murdering Mr Hambleton.

It had been alleged that the pair previously evinced "malice and ill will" towards the victim, but that was dropped from the charge.

The Crown accepted the father's guilty plea to committing the murder and his son's admission of a reduced charge of assaulting the teenager to his severe injury.

The court heard that Mr Hambleton lived with his mother and grandfather in a flat in the same block as Gourlay senior.

On 15 May, road worker Gourlay senior and his partner were out drinking, as was his son and a friend. They met up at a bar in Dalkeith and after midnight returned to the father's home.

Mr Stewart said: "On arrival there they had more drinks in the living room. Both Colin Gourlay and Dean Gourlay were drunk."

About 2am on 16 May they left the house and Mr Hambleton and others in his family home heard knocking at the front door.

Mr Hambleton opened his bedroom window and found Dean Gourlay was at the door challenging him to come out and fight. His father was also in the street.

Dean Gourlay's mother, Mary Yorkston, was also present and tried to persuade father and son to return home, said Mr Stewart.

The advocate depute said: "The deceased took up the challenge to go outside, and the incident then took place. He was seen in the road holding a golf club."

Gourlay junior, an unemployed joiner, went towards the teenager who began to back away.

He took the club from Mr Hambleton and it got broken in two. The teenager began to run with Gourlay junior chasing him.

He threw the head of the golf club, with part of the shaft still attached, at Mr Hambleton who was hit on the head and felled.

Both father and son then began kicking the victim before Gourlay senior picked up the club head and dealt the fatal blow.

Andrew Lamb QC, for Gourlay senior, said the murderer's previous convictions were "extremely minor". Gourlay senior will be jailed for life for the murder, but the judge, John Morris QC, will also have to fix a minimum term.

The temporary judge deferred sentence on the Gourlays and remanded the father in custody.