Man who murdered woman in row over child's bike jailed

Mairi Doherty died in hospital three days after being attacked

A man who pushed a woman down stairs during a row over a child's bicycle has been convicted of her murder.

Kevin Campbell, 45, kicked Mairi Doherty in the close of the flats where he lived in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute.

He then shoved Ms Doherty down the tenement steps, leaving her lying in a pool of blood and went to bed.

Ms Doherty, 41, died in hospital three days after the attack on 23 July 2022.

She had suffered a fatal brain injury, fractures to her ribs and pelvis as well as a collapsed lung.

Campbell claimed he had been "upset" at Ms Doherty allegedly grabbing the bike, but denied assaulting her.

He insisted he had stepped in to break up a fight between the victim and his partner Bernadette Cairns, 42, outside their flat.

However, he was found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Lord Arthurson handed him a life sentence and ordered he serve a minimum 17 years in prison.

Cairns did not face the murder accusation. She instead pled guilty during the trial to assaulting Ms Doherty to her injury before the killing.

She will be sentenced in October.

It emerged Campbell had already served 16 previous jail-terms and had earlier convictions for violence.

Jurors heard how a witness had spotted Ms Doherty struggling to carry a child's bike that he had previously seen outside the flat where Campbell and Cairns lived.

Andrew Robinson, 42, had gone to visit the couple when he passed her on the landing.

He recalled Ms Cairns shouting at her to bring the bike back, Ms Doherty apologising and the women then "fighting".

Mr Robinson told the trial that Campbell appeared, grabbed the victim and walked her down the stairs of the close.

He said when Campbell came back, he asked for an ambulance to be called, claiming Ms Doherty "fell".

But, jurors heard during one police interview Mr Robinson stated to officers he had "something to get off his chest", which had made him "ill".

'Loud thud'

Asked by prosecutor Alan Mackay during the trial what he told them, the witness replied: "That he shoved her".

In a statement, Mr Robinson said Campbell gave Ms Doherty "a full-force push on the back just below the shoulder blades".

He said Ms Doherty fell down the tenement stairs and there was a "loud thud" when she hit the ground.

The victim was described as "a mess" as Mr Robinson called for help.

In his evidence, Campbell admitted being at the scene. He denied being "angry", but instead said he was "upset" and "bemused" at the alleged taking of the bike.

Campbell insisted Ms Doherty was the victim of a "tragic accident".

Sentencing, Lord Arthurson said: "This murder was unplanned, but standing the nature of the attack, the catastrophic injuries and the whole circumstances, the jury has determined you demonstrated a total indifference to her fate."