Five admit funeral machete attack

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Five men have admitted attacking a funeral party in Fife with weapons, including machetes and knives.

The attack happened at the Hayfield cemetery in Kirkcaldy last October, where 190 mourners were gathered.

Police described the attack as horrific and said the two victims were "very fortunate to be alive".

James McPhee, 36, Steven McPhee, 28, William McPhee, 33, Raymond McIntyre, 24, and James Doherty, 18, will be sentenced on 25 February.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, they all pleaded guilty to two charges of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger to life.

The five attackers, all from Larkhall and Motherwell in Lanarkshire, were remanded in custody.

Many of the witnesses were initially apprehensive to become involved due to the reputations of those involved Det Insp John MuirFife Constabulary The officer who led the inquiry, Det Insp John Muir, of Fife Constabulary, said: "The two victims are very fortunate to be alive.

"They were attacked by the five men wielding machetes, knives and other weapons, who inflicted horrific injuries."

"A major incident room was established and during the inquiry Fife Constabulary traced and interviewed more than 250 witnesses including 190 mourners who had attended the funeral, many from the traveller community.

"This was a complex inquiry which ran for four months and involved several police forces on both sides of the border."

"I would like to thank the members of the traveller community and indeed the local community who assisted us in this investigation.

"Many of the witnesses were initially apprehensive to become involved due to the reputations of those involved."