Brother and sister jailed for life over kebab shop murder

Peter Singleton, 36, and Irene Singleton, 39, punched, kicked and stamped on 43-year-old David McShane in a frenzied attack at Ali's Takeway in Shettleston Road, Glasgow, on 7 June last year.

Ordering the pair to serve a minimum of 13 years each in jail, Temporary Judge Roger Craik QC said yesterday that their actions had deprived the McShane family of a son and brother.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, he told the Singletons: "Both of you have offended in the past, but there is nothing to suggest you would react in the extremely violent way on the night in question.

"The victim was not in good general health, but he was only 43 and there is nothing to suggest he would not have survived for a good few years. Neither of you appear remorseful."

The Singletons, who had been on a night out with their sister, Diane Singleton, 40, turned violent after words were exchanged between them and Mr McShane.

Mr McShane, who was 6ft 3ins and 21 stone, was knocked to the ground then repeatedly stamped on and kicked with such force that an imprint of a shoe was left on his forehead.

Irene Singleton, of Winhall Avenue, Airdrie, had to be pulled away by her sister.

She and her brother Peter, of Mossvale Square, Craigend, Glasgow, denied murdering Mr McShane, of Shettleston Road, although Mr Singleton was willing to admit the lesser charge of culpable homicide. But a jury convicted them both of murder.

The trial was told that police who arrived at the kebab shop thought Mr McShane would die at the scene.

He was rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he was put on a life support machine.

He survived for a month before his family had to make the decision to turn off his life support system on 7 July last year.

Kebab shop manager Habib Rehman, 54, told the court that he was cleaning up for the night when Mr McShane was pushed through the door, smashing it.

He told advocate depute Leanne Cross: "I saw a big guy had been pushed into the shop and two people - a man and a woman - were following him.

"The lady and the guy punched and kicked him then he fell down and they kicked him quite a lot. They gave him quite a good kicking."

Mr McShane's sister Margaret Skinner, 45, said he went out to get some pizza at 11:30pm and never returned home.

Mrs Skinner described her brother as "a loveable big guy" and said the family was devastated by his death.

Edgar Prais QC speaking on behalf of Irene Singleton, who had previous convictions for theft and assault, said: "This was not a premeditated act.

"It was something that blew up in the spur of the moment and her position remains that she became involved because of the situation in which she found her brother."

Mr Prais added that Irene, a mother-of-five, had lived a troubled life.

Brian McConnachie QC defending Mr Singleton, who has previous convictions for road traffic offences, housebreaking and racially aggravated conduct, said the attack had been alcohol fuelled, possibly on all sides.

He said Mr Singleton's partner has described him as a loving and caring father to their three children.

CIARAN DONNELLY