Man admits fatal stabbing on victim's doorstep in Bellshill

Samuel Hamilton was found seriously injured outside his house in May 2022

A football fan was fatally stabbed in the neck after watching Rangers Europa League Final defeat.

Samuel Hamilton, 56, did not survive the attack by Richard Wotherspoon, 33, in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, last May.

At the High Court in Glasgow it emerged Wotherspoon had been released from prison just weeks before he targeted Mr Hamilton and repeatedly stabbed him.

Wotherspoon admitted a murder charge and he will be sentenced next month.

It emerged he already had a lengthy criminal past including a rape conviction in 2006.

Richard Wotherspoon admitted the murder at the High Court in Glasgow

Prosecutor Euan Cameron told how in July 2021 there had been an "incident" between Mr Hamilton and Wotherspoon outside the home of the victim's daughter.

Wotherspoon later needed hospital treatment amid accusations he had been hit with a shovel.

The killer then turned up back at Mr Hamilton's daughter's house armed with an axe.

This ended up with Wotherspoon being sentenced to 18 months in April 2022 - but the term was back dated to when he was first remanded meaning he was freed immediately.

Back on the streets, he quickly targeted Samuel.

In the weeks before the murder, he was seen in Mr Hamilton's street and told a number of people that he "intended to harm" him.

Lay in wait

On the night of the killing, Mr Cameron said Rangers had been playing Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League Final.

The advocate depute added Wotherspoon had watched the game on TV at his sister's home while Samuel had done the same at his daughter's.

After the match, Wotherspoon went to Samuel's street.

He then appeared to lie in wait as the victim parked his car outside his home. CCTV had captured Wotherspoon in possession of a blade.

He yelled at the victim: "Sammy, Sammy...me and you. Know what I mean."

Samuel ignored the thug and headed into the communal garden area of his home.

But Wotherspoon tailed him and stated: "What happened that night - I just want to go over it."

Soon after, Samuel was heard to "cry out" as Wotherspoon and his associate Taylor Rooney ran off.

A neighbour initially came to stricken Samuel's aid. He managed to say: "I've been stabbed in the neck."

Mr Cameron said: "The witness went upstairs to call 999.

"When she returned, Samuel Hamilton was lying in the doorway and his 82 year-old mother was holding a towel to his neck.

"She observed that he had stopped breathing."

Blood stains

The emergency services arrived, but Mr Hamilton could not be saved.

Wotherspoon was arrested two days later, but made no comment to the accusations.

Blood staining on his jogging bottoms and a phone, however, linked him to the killing.

Mr Cameron told the hearing Mr Hamilton suffered a total of five stab wounds.

Donald Findlay KC, defending, said Wotherspoon appeared to "brood" over the earlier incident with Mr Hamilton and "eventually it came to a head".

Lord Armstrong remanded Wotherspoon in custody and deferred sentencing for reports until 19 April in Lanark.

Taylor Rooney had also been accused of being involved in the murder, but his not guilty pleas were accepted.