Father and son plead guilty to fatal brutal attack in pigeon row

A FATHER and son have admitted brutally killing a man following a long-running feud sparked by a row over dead racing pigeons.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Gavin Wright, 27, was hacked, slashed and stabbed to death in a brutal attack witnessed by his sister.

Alexander Gallagher, 51, and Alexander Gallagher jnr, 29, yesterday pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Mr Wright in Dalserf Street, Glasgow, on 9 August, 2004.

During the attack, Gallagher snr shouted encouragement from a window of the family home. He said he hoped that Mr Wright would die and urged his son and an unidentified man, who were armed with a machete, to "go back and finish him off".

Prosecutor Iain McSporran said: "They returned to the prone figure of Mr Wright and struck him repeatedly before fleeing." The victim's sister, Stephanie Wright, 20, tried to comfort her brother after the attack, in which his face was slashed open and he suffered multiple skull fractures and 17 stab wounds to his body. Mr Wright was able to say her name, but nothing more.

The court was told that paramedics who attended the scene at about midnight were working by torchlight were reluctant to shine a light on Mr Wright in case bystanders saw his horrific injuries.

The Gallaghers and the Wrights were involved in a long-running feud that began when racing pigeons were found dead in a loft. The row later escalated into violence.

The court heard that Mr Wright, of Law Street, Barrowfield, and another man were vandalising the Gallaghers' car with an axe in full view of their home.

Mr McSporran added: "Mr Wright's companion was armed with a sawn-off shotgun and there is every reason to believe that the intention was that once members of the Gallagher family and/or their associates came out in response to the attack on the car, they would be shot."

The court heard that Gallagher jnr was struck by pellets after the gun was fired, but not seriously injured. Gallagher jnr and his accomplice chased Mr Wright and when he tripped and fell, repeatedly hit him with a machete while he shouted: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Temporary judge Bill Dunlop, QC, deferred sentence on the Gallaghers – both of Stamford Street, Glasgow, until next month.

The court heard that in 2005 they were both convicted of murdering Mr Wright and ordered to serve at least 15 years in jail before being eligible for parole.

But after the trial, detailed examination of CCTV footage cast serious doubts on two witnesses and the Appeal Court quashed the convictions.

The Crown was given authority to raise fresh proceedings against the Gallaghers. They were due to go on trial yesterday accused of murder when the Crown accepted their pleas to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.