UK
Man who murdered partner in Glasgow after football match jailed
A man who murdered his partner after returning home from a football match has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years.
John Higgins, 64, killed 50-year-old Amanda McAlear at her home in Glasgow on 7 May 2022.
Prosecutors said Ms McAlear suffered a number of injuries, including a fractured rib, displaced tooth, and soft tissue damage to her neck.
A post-mortem examination ruled the primary cause of death to be compression of the neck.
Amanda McAlear was described as a ‘loving mum and grandmother’. Pic: Police Scotland
A court heard how the couple had been together for around four years.
On the day of the attack, Higgins attended a football match and went drinking in two pubs before getting a taxi to Ms McAlear’s house in Barmulloch at around 5.20pm.
CCTV of Higgins at a pub. Pic: Crown Office
During the course of the journey, Higgins said he was looking forward to ordering an Indian meal and watching football on television.
Meanwhile, Ms McAlear had been visiting her elderly mother.
At around 6.48pm, she received a call from her son asking her to continue caring for his dog for an extra day.
CCTV of Higgins getting into a taxi. Pic: Crown Office
This was the last time anyone heard from the mum-of-one, with Higgins captured on CCTV leaving the house at around 9.46pm.
While staying over at the home of relatives, he told how the couple had been arguing and claimed Ms McAlear had been unplugging the television while he had been trying to watch.
Higgins said he had “seen red” and things “went too far” but failed to mention that Ms McAlear had been injured and might need medical attention, the court heard.
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The following morning, Higgins reportedly said: “You know that way when you wake up and reality hits you.”
He then asked a family member for help with details for a solicitor.
Meanwhile at around 12pm, Ms McAlear’s son arrived at her home to pick up his dog.
He found his mother’s body in the kitchen and immediately dialled 999, but Ms McAlear was pronounced dead at the scene.
During a forensic examination, Higgins was found to have bruising to a finger on his right hand and the inner side of his upper arm. He also had a 3cm scratch to his chest.
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During sentencing, Judge Lady Haldane told Higgins he had shown “limited remorse” and “sought in large part to deflect from your own personal responsibility and instead, in effect, blamed Ms McAlear for her behaviour”.
“As if that murderous assault was not bad enough, you then left the property you shared with your partner without knowing whether Ms McAlear was alive or dead, and failed to seek any assistance for her,” the judge added.
“This is conduct which is quite frankly deplorable.”
Ms McAlear’s son then had the “unimaginable experience” of discovering his mother’s body, the judge added.
Higgins pleaded guilty to murder at the start of a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in July.
After the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said Higgins “violently attacked Amanda in her own home where she should have been safe”.
“Instead of calling for help, he left the house leaving his partner on the kitchen floor,” said Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the COPFS.
“His cruel and callous actions have robbed a family of their loving mum, daughter, sister, aunt and grandmother.
“Adding to their unimaginable devastation, Amanda never got to meet her youngest grandchild and missed out on her son’s wedding.
“Higgins will now face the consequences of his wicked actions by serving a life sentence.”