Life sentence for hammer killer

McLeish will serve a minimum of 20 years in prison

A man who battered a woman and her nephew to death with a claw hammer in Glasgow has been jailed for life.

Gerald McLeish,21, hit Bernadette Johnstone and John Park with the weapon more than a dozen times during the attack at a Cranhill flat.

The judge at the High Court in Glasgow described the murders as "horrific" and told McLeish he would spend a minimum of 20 years in prison.

McLeish said he was defending himself during the attack in August last year.

The accused, of Lamlash Crescent, Cranhill, was found guilty by majority verdicts in April after the court had been told Mrs Johnstone and Mr Park suffered massive injuries to their faces, skulls and bodies.

House warming

He had lodged special defences of self defence to the two murder charges and of consent to a rape charge, of which he was found not guilty.

The killings took place in Mr Park's flat at Longstone Place on 30 or 31 August last year, the court heard.

McLeish had gone up to Mr Park's newly decorated flat for a house-warming drink.

Mr Park, 25, introduced McLeish to 39-year-old Mrs Johnstone, of Fastnet Street, also in Cranhill.

McLeish alleged that while Mr Park was in the kitchen, Mrs Johnstone took him into the bedroom where they had sex.

The accused said that when Mr Park discovered what had happened, he was furious and hit him with a hammer.

The victims had been battered repeatedly by McLeish

A struggle followed and McLeish claimed he fought for his life, disarming Mr Park and using the hammer to ward him and Mrs Johnstone off.

However, the prosecution said Mr Park was bludgeoned to death at his front door as he tried to escape.

After killing Mr Park, McLeish then used the hammer on Mrs Johnstone.

The court heard evidence that McLeish later phoned police to ask them to let him out of Mr Park's flat, claiming he had been locked in alone.

McLeish ran away when a joiner, who had been accompanied by two policemen, opened the door. He was arrested after a chase.

Mrs Johnstone's body was found concealed under a settee in the blood-splattered flat.