Men guilty of murder after '˜armed expedition in car'

The five men were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. Picture: John Devlin

A jury at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday found John Henderson, 47, Gary Martin, 37, Thomas Martin, 45, James Connor, 52, and Dean Leech, 25, guilty of murdering Gary Clampett by hitting him with knives, a machete, a sword, a chain, a hammer, a crowbar, at Fernie Place, Fraserburgh, on June 18, last year. Joseph Martin, 40, was convicted of the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Mr Clampett died from massive blood loss after being stabbed twice in the chest

His widow Sharon wept as his killers were brought to justice.

Judge Lord Beckett sentenced Henderson, Gary Martin, Thomas Martin, Connor and Leech to life imprisonment and ordered them to serve a punishment part of 18 years, 20 years, 16 years, 14 years and 11 months and 16 years nine months respectively. Joseph Martin was jailed for 12 years.

The judge told them that it would be up to the parole board when they will be released.

He told Gary Martin: “I consider you were the leader of this armed expedition by car.”

The judge said that Henderson was the man who stabbed Mr Clampett but added: “He could not have done this without the group overpowering Mr Clampett.

He added: “I recognise that Gary Clampett was not blameless that night.”

However, Lord Beckett praised the efforts of Sharon Clampett and her friend Rena Sutherland to help Mr Clampett that night as “selfless and courageous”.

All six accused showed no emotion as they were led away to begin their sentences.

The court heard that the accused were out looking for Mr Clampett after an incident earlier that evening, which led to threats on Facebook and then the encounter in Fermie Place around 4am.

This was the latest in a long running feud between the Clampetts and the Martins.

When the Clampetts and Ms Sutherland were in Fernie Place, a car driven by Connor drove up. Also in the car were Thomas Martinand Leech and Gary Martin and the attack took place.

During the melee Henderson stabbed Mr Clampett twice with a knife.