Glasgow postmaster and brother deny killing complaining customer

A Glasgow postmaster and his brother have denied killing a complaining customer.

Edward Brown 51, from Renfrew, and Alan Brown, 63, from Craigton, deny the culpable homicide of John McGuire at Cardonald Post Office in March 2018.

Prosecutors claim they were acting together when they held the 56-year-old on the ground and stamped on his body.

It is alleged they also pressed his neck and knelt on his back, restricting his breathing.

A jury at the High Court in Glasgow was shown CCTV footage of four people holding Mr Maguire down.

The court heard that Edward Brown had been called a "scummy dwarf" by Mr McGuire earlier that day after he was asked for a receipt for a "wrong purchase".

Later Mr McGuire returned and flashed a receipt at Edward Brown before bringing him to the ground.

The court heard that Andrew Blackwood, 58, was repairing a photocopier in the back room when the incident began.

He told jurors: "I heard an almighty crash."

He said: "I got up and looked round and a man was on the floor with Eddie, but Eddie was on top of him with his arms over his shoulders.

"The man was kicking and moving and I thought I needed to give Eddie a hand."

Mr Blackwood held Mr McGuire's right leg.

He added: "I needed to stop him getting up because he could have wrecked the place."

CCTV footage showed Alan Brown also getting on top of Mr McGuire.

Mr Blackwood said: "I remember Alan kneeling on him to keep the guy down."

Alan Brown's wife Sandra and a customer held down Mr McGuire's left leg until the police arrived.

Police officers who attended described Mr McGuire as "foaming at the mouth" and "grey in colour" when they arrived.

PC Kevin Cumming, 37, said: "He made a gasping noise like he was still breathing.

"Then I believed he stopped breathing as he didn't appear to be moving.

"We put him on his back and gave him CPR until the paramedics arrived."

Mr McGuire was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. He was pronounced dead less than 14 minutes later.

Edward and Allan Brown both deny killing Mr McGuire.

The trial, before judge Lord Clark, continues.