Man jailed for murder of young father in Stranraer

Mark Allison was jailed at the High Court in Stirling

A murderer who stabbed a young father in front of his partner and neighbours in Stranraer before fleeing the scene has been given a life sentence.

A judge said Mark Allison, 25, had shown "no remorse" for the killing of 33-year-old Gary Handling in June 2022.

He was found guilty of murder at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year.

At the High Court in Stirling, he was ordered to serve a minimum of 21 years before being eligible for parole.

Judge Lord Young said Allison had confronted his victim on two previous occasions before returning to confront him again outside his house on John Simpson Drive shortly before midnight on 6 June 2022.

CCTV footage showed Allison's girlfriend trying to guide him away from trouble, but he resisted her efforts.

Gary Handling was taken to the Galloway Community Hospital but died of his injuries

Lord Young said: "It's clear from that CCTV that Mr Handling was moving away from you in the seconds before the fight started.

"You then advanced towards him and struck him at least two blows with a knife."

The judge said this happened in front of Mr Handling's partner, who was left, with some neighbours, "desperately trying to save his life", while Allison ran from the scene and hid the knife.

Mr Handling was taken to nearby Galloway Community Hospital, but died a short time later.

Lord Young said it was clear Allison had been the instigator of the violence.

'Random walk'

The judge said victim impact statements from Mr Handling's parents made "particularly difficult reading", partly because they had lost another son to an "unexpected medical condition".

He said: "They have now lost their remaining son due to your violent act, and your actions have also deprived a young boy of his father.

"I detect no remorse for your actions."

Less than 48 hours before the murder, Allison - described as a prisoner in HMP Kilmarnock - had attacked another man, Jonjo Brown, with a knife in nearby Dicks Hill Park.

He was found guilty in January of murdering Mr Handling and assaulting Mr Brown to his injury and permanent disfigurement.

He had denied the offences, and said of the murder that he had been out for "a random walk" and that it was "a coincidence" he ended up outside Mr Handling's house.

Solicitor-advocate Brian Gilfedder, defending, asked Lord Young to take into account Allison's young age at the time of the murder.