Man who killed landlord of pub by driving over him is locked up for life

A PUB customer was jailed for life after he was caught on camera driving over the landlord of a village inn.

A judge ordered that Lee McNamara should serve at least 13 and a half years in prison before he can apply for parole for committing the murder of Steven Curran “in a terrible way”.

Lady Clark of Calton told McNamara at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You have left a wife without a husband and children without a father.”

She pointed out that McNamara’s drunken state was the main explanation for the crime.

McNamara, 24, ambushed Mr Curran “for no good reason” in the car park of The Dolphin Inn, in Whitecraig, East Lothian, as he left after closing time. CCTV footage from the premises recorded the killing and was shown to the jury at McNamara’s earlier trial.

Mr Curran, 47, was punched and fell to the ground before McNamara sat on him and struck him again and robbed him of car keys for his wife’s Toyota.

McNamara then returned and kicked the victim, who was left lying motionless behind the car, before driving over him.

He admitted killing Mr Curran at the High Court, but then went on trial denying murdering his victim after the Crown rejected his plea to culpable homicide.