Soldier's family: 'Now we can grieve for Paul'

Published 28 Apr 2010 15:31

By Jennifer Black

AN ERSKINE man has been found guilty of a 'despicable crime' after he stabbed a war hero through the heart.

Callous Barry McGrory, 28, murdered Paul McGee after knifing him three times.

The Scots Guardsman suffered a fatal wound to his heart during the attack.

Last week, jurors at the High Court in Glasgow took just over three hours to convict McGrory of murdering the soldier on October 25 last year, in McConnell Road in Lochwinnoch.

The verdict was greeted with loud cheers from Paul's family and friends, while ashen faced McGrory turned and looked at his own family.

The court heard how he has nine previous convictions, including one for possession of a knife.

He has also walked free from an attempted murder charge.

Throughout the trial McGrory tried to blame his friend Johnstone man, Ian Wallace, 28, for the murder but jurors refused to accept this.

Judge Lord Woolman told the murderer: "The jury has found you guilty of a despicable crime.

"You took the life of a young man by stabbing him with your knife while he lay vulnerable on the ground."

Paul's emotional family and friends hugged each other as they left court.

Speaking outside court yesterday, Paul's mum Anne, 54, briefly said: "Justice was done and now we can grieve for Paul."

Paul's girlfriend Helen Laycock, 26, added: "It won't bring back Paul but it's justice."

The court heard that the 28-year-old soldier, his mum, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend's mum Ann Laycock, 59, were returning home after a charity night in Johnstone when the incident took place.

Their taxi driver spotted McGrory driving slowly with his fog lights on.

The cabbie flashed his lights at McGrory before overtaking him, which enraged McGrory and his passenger Wallace who chased after the taxi.

Minutes later, as the taxi pulled up in McConnell Road, Wallace jumped out of McGrory's car, rushed to the taxi and began punching the driver through his open window.

Paul stepped in to help the taxi driver and calm things down and Wallace quickly turned on him.

The two men got into a scuffle on the ground but eventually lay still as they were exhausted from struggling with each other.

At this point, Miss Laycock told the court that McGrory crouched over Paul before quickly walking away.

The nurse said: "At first I thought he was taking the first man away. I just saw him crouching over Paul. I knew there was something wrong."

Moments later, as McGrory and Wallace fled the scene, Paul lay dying in his mum's arms.

The court also heard from Wallace's girlfriend Kerry Gribben, 22, who claimed that McGrory said that he had 'plugged' someone just hours after Paul died.

The witness told the court that McGrory referred to the murder weapon as his 'baby'.

Wallace was also originally charged with murdering Paul but the Crown dropped the case against him and instead charged him assaulting Paul, the taxi driver, his mum, and his girlfriends mum.

He pled guilty to these charges at the close of the Crown case.

Heroic Paul received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in 2007 after trying save his colleague Stephen Ferguson whose armoured vehicle had slipped into a canal.

Guardsman Ferguson sadly later died in hospital from his injuries.

Lord Woolman deferred sentencing both men until next month for background reports.

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This article appeared in The Gazette 28 Apr 10

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