William McKeeney murder: Woman tells of seeing men stamp on partner

By CAMPBELL THOMAS
Published on 04/10/2012 22:13

A WOMAN described watching from her window as two men kicked and stamped her partner to death as if “breaking up furniture”.

Anne Marie Newlands, 48, had been waiting for William McKeeney to come home and was looking out of the window when she saw the men.

She said: “The second time I looked out I thought they were breaking up a piece of furniture in the street.

“They were kicking and stamping on something, and they were both doing it. I thought they were breaking something up.

“I decided I would phone Willie and tell him to watch out because I didn’t like the look of them.”

The alleged killing took place yards from the couple’s home in Pollockshields, Glasgow, on 15 January.

Miss Newlands said the shorter of the pair stood back and said something to the “very tall” man, who stamped six or eight more times before they both “sauntered around the corner”.

She stood on a trunk to get a better view of the object on the ground then realised it was a person.

Breaking down as she gave evidence at the High Court in Kilmarnock, she said: “I ran outside and saw it was Willie.

“He was very battered, and one side of his face was all swollen and his eye was closed. I thought his teeth had come through his top lip.”

Advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith, prosecuting, asked: “How was he?”

Miss Newlands replied: “He was on his back. I was panicking because no-one else was there. I tried to speak to him but realised he was not responding, so I phoned 999.”

Asif Rehman, 20, and Adel Ishaq, 19, deny the aggravated murder of Mr McKeeney, 57, by repeatedly punching, kicking, stamping and jumping on his head and body.

The court heard that Mr McKeeney, a labourer, had visited two pubs before phoning Miss Newlands to tell her he was on his way home with a fish supper.

The trial continues.