A Fife man has been jailed after being convicted of killing a grandfather by pushing him down a flight of stairs at Haymarket train station.
Marc McKinlay, 38, from Cowdenbeath assaulted Donald Maguire, 58, at the Edinburgh station on February 20 2020.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how McKinlay pushed Mr Maguire on his body, which caused him to fall and hit his head off the ground.
McKinlay then kicked Mr Maguire’s son Brian on the body, before striking him on the head with a bag containing cans of alcohol.
The older man later died in hospital and McKinlay was later arrested after getting on a train.
The full story emerged after McKinlay was found guilty at the end of four-day trial of culpable homicide.
He had pled guilty to assaulting the younger man to his severe injury at the start of proceedings last week.
On Wednesday, judge Fiona Tait remanded McKinlay in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing next month.
Family tribute to victim
Mr Maguire died from his injuries at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh on March 4 2020.
The Scottish Sun last year reported that Mr Maguire’s daughter Lynsey wrote a tribute to her father last year.
She said: “My dad for those who didn’t know him was the life and soul of the party, the man who would help others when no one else would, a man who would never be at home for too long….because life was for the living.
“A successful business man always sharing his best advice.
“A highly respected freemason – recognised by many.
“But most importantly, a loving husband, an incredible dad, the best grandad and brother that any of us could of ever, ever ask for.
“No words can truly explain what an unbelievable man he was and is.”
Witnesses saw struggle at station
During proceedings, the court heard how Mr Maguire and his son had been enjoying a night out in Edinburgh.
They had both gone to Haymarket station to catch a train back home.
Eyewitnesses told the court Mr Maguire and his son came into contact with McKinlay, who was also there to catch a train.
One witness said she thought McKinlay was drunk.
Architect Hugo Target,35, told prosecutor David McLean he was commuting home to Fife when he witnessed the incident.
He said he saw Mr Maguire fall backwards and he “bashed his head”.
Mr Target added: “Following that, I saw the man carrying the plastic bag swing his arm with the plastic bag and it hit the son on the face.
“There was some punches after that.
“I helped to separate them.
“I said something along the lines of ‘that’s enough’; and I pulled the man with the plastic bag off the son.
“He then went downstairs and got on a train – it was the same train that I got on.
“Two officers then came on and took him off it.”
‘More concerned about beers’ than victim
Personal assistant Katie McCulloch,40, was returning home from a work night out when she came face to face with McKinlay on the train.
She had earlier witnessed the altercation.
She said: “I remember feeling quite frightened.
“He was carrying some beers. I thought he was drunk.
“He was swearing. I backed away as he swayed on to the platform.”
Ms McCulloch told the court about McKinlay’s attitude when police officers told him to get off the train.
She said she sat close by as he spoke to police officers.
“He said ‘for f**k’s sake, here we go’.
“He was huffing and puffing. He was a bit reluctant to get off the train.
“I remember him pointing back towards his beers.
“He seemed to be more concerned about his beers than what happening on the stairs.”
Desperate fight to save life
Travel agency worker Connie Dalrymple,29, said she she saw a “bit of a fight”.
“We saw the older man getting pushed.
“When he fell we heard his head crack.
“He lay just still. He didn’t move.
“We thought it was quite serious.”
She said she and her partner gave Mr Maguire CPR and put him into the recovery position. She phoned 999.
Speaking about McKinlay, Ms Dalrymple added: “He ran past us and got on the train.”
McKinlay did not give evidence in his defence and the jurors returned a guilty verdict to a charge of culpable homicide.
He will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 3.
