Man pleads guilty to hacking off disabled woman’s hand

A violent thug admitted walking into a wheelchair-bound woman’s home and chopping off one of her hands.

At the High Court in Glasgow Stephen Brisbane, 34, pled guilty to severing 62-year-old Sandra McGowan’s right hand and taking it away with him when he left.

Brisbane managed to enter Ms McGowan’s Dundee home on February 14, 2018, using a electronic key fob.

He seized hold of her right wrist and hacked it off with a knife. During his horror ordeal Ms McGowan lost consciousness and Brisbane, from Dundee, picked up her hand and carried it away with him.

Stephen Brisbane. Picture: Police Scotland

The allegations that Brisbane caused Ms McGowan to fall from her wheelchair onto the ground was deleted from the charge as was the claim that he robbed her of a ring and failed to get medical assistance for her were removed from the charge.

Brisbane admitted assaulting Ms McGowan to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and to the danger of her life.

None of the facts in the case was narrated in court.

Prosecutor Richard Goddard QC said: “The plea was only agreed in the course of this morning and there is some considerable background to this case. I would ask the case be deferred for a full narrative to be heard.”

The court was told that Brisbane has a number of previous convictions.

His plea of not guilty to earlier that night entering Ms McGowan’s home and demanding drugs and money from her and stealing an electronic key fob, remote controls and a mobile phone and holder was accepted.

Brisbane also denied stealing a mobile phone from his sister Claire Brisbane at a flat in Pitalpin Court, Dundee on February 13, 2018. This not guilty plea was also accepted.

Brisbane was due to go to trial in Edinburgh in July, but decided to admit his guilt yesterday during a continued preliminary hearing

Judge Johanna Johnston deferred sentence on Brisbane until later this month.

She told Brisbane, who is in custody: “You have accepted your guilt to a serious offence.”

Defence QC Mark Stewart said: “There is a medical background to this matter and it may take some time to put that into a narrative.”

Mr Stewart will give his plea in mitigation when the case next calls.

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