The brother of a Paisley murder victim has been jailed after beating a man to a pulp for being in “his scheme”.
Shaun Bishop, whose brother Kevin was mutilated in a killing that shook the town in 2018, left his victim Brian Lappin with blood pouring from his head and face in the horrifying unprovoked attack.
The brute targeted Lappin as he sat in his car in Gallowhill’s Motehill Road in October last year, raining blows on his head and body through the window of the Black Vauxhall Astra.
Bishop, who told Lappin ‘this is my scheme, I run this scheme’ before the attack, also launched a brick through the car window and tried to pull him from the car, before telling him to ‘get out of Gallowhill’.
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The 30-year-old appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court on Friday where he was handed the significant sentence for the brutal attack, as well as a cowardly attempt to defeat the ends of justice by trying to bribe a witness to blame the other assailant.
The court heard victim Lappin had been parked in the street talking to his friend Robert Todd when Bishop and his pal Gordon Bain approached them “scowling” and shouting.
Procurator fiscal depute David McDonald told the court Lappin and Bain stood in front of the car to prevent Lappin from driving away before stealing his keys from the ignition to stop him from escaping.
Both Bishop and Bain began shouting and swearing at Lappin, telling him to ‘get out the f*****g car’ before initiating the violent beating.
Mr McDonald said: “Mr Lappin put his right arm above his head to protect himself and kept his left arm around the steering wheel.
“Mr Lappin could feel that he was bleeding from his head and face at this time.
“The accused and the other male continued to punch him repeatedly and physically remove him from the vehicle, shouting ‘get out’.”
It was at this point that Bishop grabbed a brick, which he threw at the windscreen, causing it to smash, and then again at the passenger window - damaging the door pillar.
Bain, who is due to be sentenced for this offence next month, began jabbing Lappin in the head with his own car keys and then jumped on the windscreen of the car, smashing it further.
The out-of-control thugs then threw Lappin his keys back, allowing him to flee from the street.
Mr McDonald added: “At this time, Robert Todd, who had been driving away from the street, was stopped by a member of the public.
“He was told that Mr Lappin was being assaulted by two males, at which point he called the police and returned to the street where he saw them both walking into a common close there.
“Police attended the home of Mr Lappin where the vehicle involved was traced in the driveway and was observed to have a smashed windscreen.
“Mr Lappin was observed to be covered in blood, a laceration to his forehead as well as swelling and bruising around his head and face.
“He was conveyed to hospital by police.”
Lappin was left with three wounds to his head which required treatment - one 3.5cm cut on his head which needed three stitches, one 2cm cut on the back of his head and a 1cm wound on the top of his head.
He was left with burst blood vessels in both eyes, while one eye was bruised and swollen.
The court heard all head injuries had left permanent scarring.
Bishop was arrested the same day as the attack and was remanded in custody on October 18, 2021.
Three days following his arrest, on October 21, he called Robert Todd and tried to bribe him with cash to retract his statement.
He also threatened Mr Todd, saying ‘I’ll fill you with holes’ if he did not change his story.
Mr McDonald added: “On a further occasion before January 22, 2022, Mr Todd received a further phone call telling him to change his statement and tell the courts that it was Gibby who was responsible and that the accused was attempting to intervene and help.
“Mr Todd confirmed that Gibby is the nickname of the other male involved in the assault.”
Bishop admitted assaulting Mr Lappin to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement during the attack on October 16 last year.
He also admitted trying to pervert the course of justice on two occasions by attempting to get Mr Todd to change his statements.
Bishop’s lawyer Mr Mitchell said his client had been terrified of ruining his relationship and had been desperately trying to get out of jail, leading him to make the phone calls.
He said: “He describes his behaviour as disgraceful and utterly unacceptable.
“His girlfriend was on holiday for ten days and he reconnected with old friends who he often drinks too much.
“He did not want to lose that relationship as he knows she will not accept that kind of behaviour.
“He has no convictions of assault but he accepts that there is no other appropriate disposal other than a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Brian Mohan slammed Bishop for the “vicious and unprovoked” assault which he said was clearly “territorial” in nature.
Bishop was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
