Headbutt killer was 'pure evil'

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A killer who sat on his unconscious victim and headbutted him as he lay dying in the street has been branded "pure evil" by the dead man's family.

Joe Blair, 60, fell and banged his head during a drunken scuffle with James Best, 52.

As Mr Blair lay sprawled on the ground, Best sat on his chest and headbutted him three times.

Best admitted culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow. He was remanded in custody and sentence was deferred.

Mr Blair's sister Pamela McKechnie, 41, who saw the CCTV screening at the court, said the incident has started off as a "silly scuffle" between two drunk men.

It almost seems incredible that someone can lose their life out of nothing more than a drunken disagreement Ian Duguid QCDefence lawyer

She added: "My brother ended up smashing his head off the ground and at that point he was probably brain dead, and mercifully didn't know what was happening.

"We could have understood what happened and forgiven Best for what was an accident, but he went back to Joe and while he was lying sprawled on the ground repeatedly headbutted and kicked him. It was pure evil what he did."

The court was told the two men had been out celebrating the success of the Port Glasgow Juniors football team.

Both had been drinking heavily and an argument flared after Mr Blair, who ran a barber shop in Port Glasgow, playfully tried to hug a woman as they waited outside a taxi office.

Paul McBride QC, prosecuting, told the court that Best, from Greenock, was dragged away by bystanders after Mr Blair fell, but returned seconds later, sat on top of his victim and headbutted him three times.

Mr Blair died in hospital after suffering severe head injuries

Best walked off before returning for a second time to kick Mr Blair as he lay dying.

Mr McBride said that both men had been to Port Glasgow Juniors match on 10 October 2007 before going to a club function afterwards. Best's son was a player with the team.

Mr Blair suffered a fractured skull and bleeding from the brain. He fell into a coma and was pronounced dead at the Southern General hospital the next morning.

Mr McBride added: "The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head."

Ian Duguid QC, defending, said: "This was a drunken argument between two men which escalated into blows.

"It almost seems incredible that someone can lose their life out of nothing more than a drunken disagreement."

Judge Lord Hardie remanded Best in custody for background reports and told him: "The outcome in this case will inevitably be a custodial one."