Two men on trial accused of racially motivated murder of William McKeeney

Two men have gone on trial charged with the racially aggravated murder of a 57-year-old man in a Glasgow street.

 

Asif Rehman, 20, and Adel Ishaq, 19, are accused of attacking William McKeeney and causing him to fall to the ground.

They are then alleged to have repeatedly punched and kicked him, and stamped and jumped on his head and body.

Both men denied the charges against them at the High Court at Kilmarnock.

Mr McKeeney was so severely injured after the incident yards from his home in Melville Street, in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow, on 15 January that he later died at the city's Victoria Infirmary.
Mr Rehman and Mr Ishaq, both said to be prisoners at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, deny the racially aggravated murder of Mr McKeeney and showing previous malice and ill-will towards him.

Threatening language
Mr Rehman, who is said to have been on bail at the time, also denies attempting to defeat justice by changing out of the clothes he was was wearing at the time before returning to the scene, and possessing cannabis and diazepam.

Mr Ishaq further denies attempting to defeat the ends of justice by giving clothing and footwear to Umar Bhatti, who burned and destroyed them, and attempting to induce Bashir Ahmed to give him £500 so he could flee Glasgow.

And he is alleged to have acted in a manner likely to cause fear and alarm by using abusive and threatening language towards Ian Little in Kenmuir Street, Pollokshields, on the day before the alleged attack. He also denies possessing diazepam.

Mr McKeeney, a labourer and former lorry driver, was originally from Malin Head in County Donegal, Ireland.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.