Brothers who carried out brutal Glasgow murder have jail terms reduced on appeal

By JOHN ROBERTSON
Published on 19/10/2012 12:44

MINIMUM 24-year jail terms imposed on two brothers who carried out the “vicious” murder of a man have been ruled excessive by appeal judges.

Paul and Adam Christie killed Brian Faulds with at least 30 blows to the head with a variety of weapons, and set fire to his body at the River Clyde walkway near Dalmarnock bridge, Glasgow.

The judges said the murder was “towards the upper end of the scale of such crimes” but decided that the period the brothers must serve in jail under life sentences before becoming eligible for parole should be cut to 21 years.

“We regard this case as a very serious one. However, it is not as grave as some others before this court which have involved multiple victims or even greater levels of violence and viciousness,” said Lord Menzies, sitting with Lord Wheatley at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh.

Paul Christie, 30, of Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow, and Adam Christie, 28, of Main Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, admitted murdering Mr Faulds, 29, on 27 September last year in Paul Christie’s home, by binding him with tape and striking him with a knife, a cleaver, axes, a hammer and a baseball bat.

Mr Faulds, nicknamed “nightmare”, had been released from prison about two weeks before his death, and had met Paul Christie in the street.

He had nowhere to stay and Christie allowed him the use of his flat if he was not there.

Paul Christie confided to a friend that his phone had been stolen and that he and his brother attacked Mr Faulds, leaving his head in four bits and his face split down the middle.