Monstrous trio face life sentences for murder of man who pleaded 'please stop'

A 'monstrous' trio are each facing life sentences for the brutal murder of a vulnerable man. Amanda Welsh, 49, Conor Thomas, 29, and Laura McHugh, 32, were today found guilty ofmurdering 30-year-old Joseph McGready at McHugh's flat in Glasgow on September 29, 2023.

He had been slashed and stabbed after being accused of stealing from McHugh, but the trio had denied murder during the trialat Glasgow'sHigh Court. Welsh and Thomas had effectively blamed McHugh for the attack, while McHugh instead suggested the other two bore responsibility for the attack. Today, jurors returned unanimous guilty verdicts against all three defendants, and they were remanded in custody to be sentenced next month.

Local news outlet Glasgow Livedescribed the trio's attack as 'monstrous'. The court heard Mr McGready had ended up with the three on the day of the killing, before going to McHugh's flat.

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The trial heard claims it was while there that Mr McGready was accused of theft, and was set upon before being left badly injured in a communal area of the building.

The killers then fled the scene, and Welsh and McHugh ended up spending the night in a hotel. Mr McGready was later found, but died several days later in hospital. The trio were eventually held by police for the death.

McHugh said the scenes at her flat resembled a "free for all", but denied being responsible. She stated Welsh initially slashed Mr McGready, before Thomas struck him "five or six times".

McHugh told the officers: "I shouted on Connor and he stopped. It was only a few seconds and it was over." She recalled "a lot of blood" and assumed the victim had a number of injuries.

McHugh claimed she had been "terrified", but admitted helping lift Mr McGready from the flat and "put him in the landing".
The victim was said to have pleaded: "Please stop, please stop."

In her evidence, Welsh admitted slashing Mr McGready, but denied any further attack. She claimed he had made a comment about her boyfriend. After she had dropped the blade, Welsh insisted she had then seen McHugh with a knife.

Following the verdicts, prosecutor Kath Harper revealed all three had criminal records. This included both Welsh and Thomas having convictions for offensive weapons. Lord Matthews adjourned the case for reports.