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Footballer's father guilty of 1999 Coatbridge murder | Footballer's father guilty of 1999 Coatbridge murder |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The father of former Hearts footballer Ryan McGowan has been found guilty of a 1999 murder after being extradited to Scotland from Australia. | The father of former Hearts footballer Ryan McGowan has been found guilty of a 1999 murder after being extradited to Scotland from Australia. |
James McGowan, 57, had denied killing his former brother-in-law Owen Brannigan, 46, at a house in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. | |
But a jury convicted him of the attack, which took place after he returned to Scotland for his mother's funeral. | |
McGowan and his wife had emigrated to Australia in 1980. | McGowan and his wife had emigrated to Australia in 1980. |
Judge Lady Scott told McGowan he would be jailed for life when he is sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on 15 March. | |
She said: "The law states that there is only one sentence which I can impose in a case with this charge - that is life. | |
"However, I must also fix a punishment part to your sentence - the punishment part is the sentence you must serve before you become eligible for parole." | |
As he was led away, McGowan blew a kiss to members of his family. | |
Mr Brannigan had been married to McGowan's sister Carol but they divorced in 1984 after nine years of marriage. | |
The High Court in Edinburgh heard there was bad feeling between the McGowan family and Mr Brannigan in the lead-up to the murder. | |
McGowan sought out his victim while back in his former home town and stabbed him 11 times before fleeing back to Australia. | |
He later told helpline counsellors in 2012 that he had killed a man. | |
McGowan told one advisor that he had "crossed a line" and that something was "slowly eating away" at him. | McGowan told one advisor that he had "crossed a line" and that something was "slowly eating away" at him. |
'Frightening thing' | 'Frightening thing' |
He added: "Once you've crossed the line and you jump back... you know you can always go across the line. | He added: "Once you've crossed the line and you jump back... you know you can always go across the line. |
"Some people can't go across it and I know I went and done it and it's a frightening thing - a frightening thing to deal with. | "Some people can't go across it and I know I went and done it and it's a frightening thing - a frightening thing to deal with. |
"You go 'Jesus, I can't kill people. But I did.'" | "You go 'Jesus, I can't kill people. But I did.'" |
He also said: "I would have been better off getting caught... you know I'll probably be coming out to join society again as a better person than what I'm doing - because every single frickin' day it's slowly eating away at me." | He also said: "I would have been better off getting caught... you know I'll probably be coming out to join society again as a better person than what I'm doing - because every single frickin' day it's slowly eating away at me." |
The case was one of the first to be investigated by the Crown Office in Scotland's cold case unit when it was set up in 2011. | |
Following the guilty verdict, Det Ch Insp Bob Frew, the senior investigating officer on the case, said: "Although this murder took place over 17 years ago, officers worked tirelessly on the original investigation and the subsequent reinvestigation to bring the person responsible to justice. | |
"Owen Brannigan left a teenage son and brothers and sisters and I hope that this conviction gives them some form of peace." | |
Mr Brannigan's sister Anne-Marie said her family was happy with the verdict. | |
She said: "Thank God it's all finished. We take some consideration of the McGowan family too. It's a sad day for everybody." | |
She also said the case had been going on "for so long, I did actually think maybe it was never going to come to trial". | |
McGowan's son Ryan played for Hearts from 2008 to 2013. | McGowan's son Ryan played for Hearts from 2008 to 2013. |
The Australia international also had spells with Dundee United, Ayr United and Partick Thistle, and last played for Chinese club Henan Jianye. | The Australia international also had spells with Dundee United, Ayr United and Partick Thistle, and last played for Chinese club Henan Jianye. |