A former shipyard worker cleared of killing an irate customer during a melee at his brother's post office in Glasgow has slammed the justice system for taking the case to court.
Alan Brown, 63, and his brother Edward, 51, the postmaster at Cardonald Post Office, were found not guilty of culpable homicide on Thursday after John McGuire died during an incident at the shop.
The pair had restrained the 56-year-old in March last year amid fears he had a knife although it later emerged Mr McGuire was holding a chocolate bar.
Mr McGuire – who weighed almost 20-stone - died of asphyxia following the bust up which started when he complained about a parcel. The court heard he then “swung a punch” at the postmaster.
Edward – who was previously praised by police after he was attacked at work – insisted he felt he was being confronted by a possible “madman” and had feared for his life as he grappled with Mr McGuire.
Alan happened to be visiting the post office to drop something off for his sibling and jumped in to help his brother restrain Mr McGuire.
The court heard police were called and Alan Brown’s wife Sandra and a customer held onto one of Mr McGuire's leg while Andrew Blackwood, 58, who was repairing a photocopier in the back room when the incident began, held onto the other leg during the tragic incident.
Prosecutors claimed the brothers held Mr McGuire on the ground and stamped on his body.
It was also alleged they pressed his neck and knelt on his back restricting his breathing.
But the postmaster said he showed relatives CCTV of the incident to prove that he and his brother were innocent. He told jurors: “I needed my family to know what happened and that I was not responsible."
Alan said his life has been "hell on earth" in the lead up to the trial at the High Court in Glasgow and during it as he and his brother faced prison for killing Mr McGuire.
He also added the case was a waste of time and should have never gone to trial in the first place.
After the judgement, he said: “When we got the result I felt exuberated.
“It’s difficult how to put into words how it feels to be finally exonerated from the whole thing.
“But for the past year and a half my life and my family’s lives have been ruined.
“Everybody that we’ve dealt with; court staff, police who interviewed us, solicitors and QCs all said the same thing.
“They cannot believe this made it to court and that it’s been a waste of time.
“My family has been left destitute."
Alan said he even lost his job as a result of the stress of the trial.
He added: "After 47 years of working for BAE systems in Govan, I had to leave my job.
“My relationship with my wife has suffered.
“For a year and a half I’ve had to see neighbours, colleagues and friends reading about us and a crime that we did not commit.
“It has been hell on earth.
“I come from a shipbuilding background where I’ve had to deal with hard men and bullies every day.
“In a way I’m used to having to be strong and brave, but I don’t know that other members of my family are.
“Will we ever recover from this?”
The trial heard how Mr McGuire went into the post office on March 25 last year to complain about the cost of posting a parcel and “believed a member of staff had an attitude towards him”.
Edward Brown, from Renfrew, said he knew McGuire as a customer who came in once a month.
McGuire left the shop and returned later and that was when he was said to have “swung a punch” at the postmaster.
Edward said he was grabbed before both men ended up on the ground. Alan then came to his aid.
Edward said he was “not moving” away from McGuire until police arrived as he feared for his life.
The court heard claims that Edward stated at one point: “You are not going to stab me with that.”
But the item McGuire had been clutching turned out to be a Snickers bar.
The incident involving McGuire was not the first confrontation Edward had to deal with at the Post Office. Around 15 years ago he was praised by cops after he was attacked at work.
Alan said he felt for his brother following the trial yesterday.
He said: "What hurts more is that my brother Edward worked for the Post Office all his days, Alan added.
“He’s been a Postmaster for over 20 years.
“Around 15 years ago when he was subjected to another attack on shift, Edward was given a police commendation for how he reacted.
“It just doesn’t make sense.
“The procurator fiscal has a lot to answer for.
“When you look at the justice system there’s no sense to it.
“We were two individuals acting under measured circumstances.
“It’s scandalous.”
