Jordan MacKay murder: Jack Mallon jailed for 19 years

A former prisoner was today jailed for at least 19 years for stabbing to death a young man in front of his girlfriend.

Jordan MacKay with his girlfriend Nicole McKay. Picture: Comp

Jack Mallon, 47, was given a life sentence for the murder of 20-year-old Jordan MacKay after plunging a knife into the victim’s neck leaving his girlfriend screaming for help.

Mallon’s ex-girlfriend, Charlene Wilson, 37, who had summoned him to South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, was jailed for 9 years for her part in Mr MacKay’s death.

She had stood trial for the murder of the joiner with her co-accused Mallon, but was convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Mr MacKay had been on a night out with his girlfriend, Nicole McKay, 21, when tragedy struck.

A judge told Wilson at the High Court in Edinburgh that her behaviour was “the trigger” for the attack after she had acted in a drunken and aggressive manner.

Johanna Johnston QC said: “You threatened to get Jack Mallon. You phoned Jack Mallon and summoned him to carry out serious violence and serious injury and that is what happened.”

The judge said that Mr MacKay had “no chance” to defend himself from the knife attack launched on him by Mallon. She told the murderer: “This was a brutal and horrific attack.”

Miss McKay said she saw Mallon come out of a car and later saw him “with the knife in the air and Jordan holding his neck”.

Miss McKay said her boyfriend was losing a lot of blood and could not speak in the wake of the attack. She said: “I was trying to help Jordan.”

She tried to give mouth-to-mouth but told the court: “I thought Jordan was dying.”

Mallon, who was previously jailed for drug crime, and Wilson had both denied murdering joiner Mr MacKay, of Kirkliston, near Edinburgh, in the attack in the early hours of July 13 at The Loan, in South Queensferry during an earlier trial.

Mallon had lodged a special defence claiming that he was acting in defence of himself and his co-accused, during their trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The jury’s decision to convict Mallon of the murder was greeted with cries of “yes” from the public benches in court.

The victim was taken to hospital in Edinburgh following the knife assault in South Queensferry but died despite the efforts of medical staff after sustaining a wound that was about 11 centimetres long.

After the attack Mallon said: “I am in big s--t. I have stabbed somebody. I think I am going down for it.”

He was also heard to say: “I have stabbed someone in the neck and killed him.”

Mr MacKay and his girlfriend had been out socialising in the town beside the Forth where Wilson was also drinking. Mallon later arrived in South Queensferry by car after Wilson contacted him.

Wilson, 37, from Kikrliston, had been at the Stag’s Head in South Queensferry’s High Street and had shouted at Mr MacKay’ girlfriend who “laughed it off”, the court heard.

One witness said that as they were leaving the pub Wilson tried to slap Mr MacKay. Courtney McGinn, 19, said: “I am not sure she did hit Jordan, but she did go to hit Jordan.”

Outside the bar Wilson clashed with others, with some viewing it as “a bit of banter”. But she was captured on camera declaring: “Of course I am an angry female.”

One witness said: “She seemed angry about what just happened down in the main street outside the Stag. She was threatening to get them all done in.”

Another said that Wilson had made a threat to get Mallon down to carry out a stabbing.

The court heard that Wilson was seeking the names of those involved in the incident with her. One man said: “She kept on going on about it, but we were refusing to give her the names.”

Footage of the incident outside the pub was caught on CCTV and mobile phones and was shown to the jury.

Wilson was asked how she felt about her antics and said: “Disgusted with myself, embarrassed, it’s just not something I am proud of.”

She said: “I was really drunk that night and I can’t really remember anything about it.”

Wilson, whom one woman heard say: “I know I am a fat bitch but I can fight” during the evening, told the court that she thought using knives was “a coward’s way”.

But prosecutor Iain McSporran said: “If it had not been for you Jordan MacKay would still be alive, wouldn’t he?”

Wilson said: “I made a phone call but not for that to happen. I never got him to come down to do that.”

She said: “I presume I was angry and probably upset and embarrassed, obviously because I was getting called names and things. So I probably did phone him because I wanted support, but I definitely would not want him to kill or stab anybody.”

Mr MacKay’s mother, Elizabeth, told the court that her son had been “a big, handsome, strapping, strong boy”.

She asked about the effect of his death on her and the family and said: “When Jordan died, we died.”

She said her son was still living at home at the time of his death, but had a girlfriend from his school days. She said: “He was going to marry her. I know her was. He told me.”

Mrs MacKay, 55, from Kirkliston, in West Lothian, said the couple were about to go on their first holiday together to Gran Canaria.

The midwife said she loved her job but had been unable to return to her work. She said: “I don’t know If I can help women and their families to bring children into the world any more.”

Mrs MacKay said they were an ordinary family whose life had been destroyed. Her husband said he would happily change places with his boy.

Mr McSporran said the depressing reality of the consumption of alcohol and the ease with which people carried knives had led to another death.

After the sentencing Mr Mackay’s family said in a statement: “Today we got some justice for ‘Our Jord’ who we could never be more proud of. Nothing can bring our perfect handsome boy back to us and we are utterly heartbroken.”

“Mallon and Wilson will waken up every morning knowing they are responsible for the death of our only son while we waken up not knowing how to move on.”

Nicole’s father, David (58) said: “My daughter _ her personality has changed a little bit. It’s like walking on eggshells sometimes with Nicole. She is never going to get over it. Nobody is going to get over it. Nineteen years doesn’t matter, it should have been 100 years. He should never get out. He should never walking the streets again.”