Published: Wednesday, 1st April, 2009 12:30pm

Evil cousins guilty of sickening attack

by Angela Murphy

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Two cousins who carried out a brutal attack on their defenceless victim have been convicted of attempted murder.

The High Court in Paisley heard how wicked Daniel Grady laughed as he "took great pleasure" in inflicting horrific wounds during a late night attack.

The court heard Grady "seemed to be enjoying himself" as he ran a sharp object down the face of Francis Lee, scarring him over his head.

As that was happening, co-accused Joseph Grady held the 34-year-old down after he had punched and kicked him on the ground as he rolled up in a ball in a desperate bid to protect himself.

Reliving what happened as he was walking home in Linwood, in February last year, Mr Lee said both accused set about him in a lane at Greenhill Crescent.

Mr Lee, a machine operator, told how he was assaulted by the two as he walked home late at night after being in a local pub.

As he approached a lane between Hart Street and Greenhill Road, he noticed both men standing on the footpath and once past them, heard one of them shouting at him.

They caught up with him and Joseph Grady punched him on the face as they grabbed hold of him and dragged him to the ground.

He said: 'I was punched on the face and body and kicked on the back. I was stabbed in the back, the buttocks and back of my thigh and slashed in the face, the top of my head and behind my left ear.'

Mr Lee recalled Daniel Grady taking hold of his head and running a weapon down his cheek and over the top of his head.

He said: 'He seemed to take great pleasure in what he was doing and was laughing as he did it.'

As that was happening he was aware of the other accused holding him down before jumping on his knee and causing his kneecap to break.

Mr Lee spent two days in the high dependency unit at the RAH where a chest drain was inserted due to a collapsed lung.

A witness who heard the disturbance told the court he ran out to see if he could help and found the victim lying unconscious on the ground and dialled 999.

Patrick McGourlick said: 'I honestly thought the man was dead. I caressed him in my arms. There was blood all around him.

'I thought he had died twice in my arms that night.'

Joseph, 30, of 1 William Street, Paisley, and Daniel Grady, 33, of 14 Locherburn Place, Houston, denied attempted murder but were convicted after trial.

The jury found them both guilty of assaulting their victim by dragging him along the ground, striking him on the head with a bottle, repeatedly striking him on the body with a knife and repeatedly punching his head and stamping or kicking his body to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, impairment and the danger of life.

Lord McEwan remanded each in custody and deferred sentence - calling for background reports and a community service assessment.