Convicted killer murdered dad in brutal machete attack on street

A convicted killer has been found guilty of the murder of a father in a brutal machete attack.

Liam Kippen struck David Graham before the 38-year-old victim’s wife went to his aid and screamed for help for her dying husband.

The 31-year-old lied that he only hit David – a relative stranger to him – because he was apparently armed and feared he was going to be assaulted.

After the attack in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Kippen fled the scene and dumped the weapon in a river before he spent the night in a hotel.

On Friday, he was found guilty of the October 6, 2024 murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Jurors then learned Kippen had previously been jailed for the culpable homicide of a man in 2016.

Kippen faces life behind bars when he is sentenced next month.

David had been out with his wife for a meal that afternoon before the fatal attack.

They had then planned to pick up some laundry before David believed he had left a door open at the home of his late father, so he went there instead.

It was on getting to Uddingston that he was fatally attacked.

David’s wife told jurors she got a call from her husband’s number, but all she initially heard was “a lot of noise”, leaving her “confused”.

She believed there was also mention of “call the police”.

She immediately went to where she thought David would be and soon heard shouting.

The witness then recalled seeing her husband running and someone “chasing” him.

She initially thought the other person – Kippen – had a golf club. David was struck by the killer.

Jurors were shown a short clip that the woman managed to capture of Kippen moments after the attack.

She then went on to frantically bang on doors yelling: “Please help me phone an ambulance, help me.”

She said it was “the worst day of her life”.

Kippen gave evidence and told how he had been outside the home of a man with whom David and his family were said to have had previous “difficulties” with.

The convicted killer claimed he was “scared” and his “adrenaline” was going as David apparently came running towards the property.

It was moments later Kippen said his friend gave him a weapon. The killer further claimed he effectively had nowhere to run and feared he was the one going to “end up dead”.

Tony Graham KC, defending, put to him: “Was it your intention to hurt him?”

Kippen replied: “I did not want any of this. I was defending myself. I did not think this would happen.”

He claimed it was only later that he discovered on the news that David had died.

Prosecutor Leanne McQuillan later stated to Kippen that the victim did not have a knife and was running away when he was struck.

Lord Harrower told Kippen: “What started as an ordinary day for David Graham and his wife ended in tragedy, leaving an incalculable void in the lives of his family.”

Co-accused Hugh McBean, 30, and James Cairney, 43, were found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by assisting Kippen after the attack.

They were also remanded in custody and will return with Kippen next month.