Pair convicted of hammer murder

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A man and a woman have been found guilty of murder by beating a man to death with a hammer in Glasgow.

Ian Taylor, 35, from the city's Gorbals area and 38-year-old Tracey Hastie, from Royston, had blamed each other for the attack on Brian Sharp.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how Mr Sharp, 38, was hit with a hammer more than 80 times at his flat in the city's Milton area in October 2006.

Judge Lord Brailsford deferred sentence and remanded both in custody.

The court heard that Taylor and Hastie had met at an addiction rehabilitation centre.

In October 2006, the pair had been drinking with Mr Sharp at his house in north Glasgow when they turned on him.

The jury was told that they taped their victim to a chair, beat him with a hammer at least 80 times, and then stabbed him in the chest with a fork.

Both accused denied the murder, claiming the other had carried out the attack.

Lord Brailsford deferred sentencing for background reports.

But as he remanded them in custody, he warned: "I am obliged to impose life imprisonment."

Both Taylor and Hastie waved and gave the thumbs up to friends in the public gallery as they were being lead to the cells.