Kevin Campbell murdered Mairi Doherty by pushing her down stairs at Dunoon flat amid row over child's bike

A man who pushed a woman down stairs amid a row over a child’s bicycle has been convicted of her murder.

Kevin Campbell, 45, lashed out at Mairi Doherty in the close of the flats where he lived in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute on July 23 2022.

Campbell – who was wearing flip-flops at the time – had also kicked Ms Doherty before forcefully shoving her down the tenement steps.

He left the stricken victim lying in a pool of blood and went to bed.

Others came to the 41-year-old’s aid, but she tragically never recovered and passed away days later in hospital.

Ms Doherty suffered a fatal brain injury, fractures to her ribs and pelvis as well as a collapsed lung.

Campbell claimed he had been “upset” at Ms Doherty allegedly grabbing the bike, but denied assaulting her in the early hours.

He insisted he had stepped in to break up a fight between the victim and Campbell’s partner Bernadette Cairns, 42, outside their flat.

However, he was found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Lord Arthurson handed him a life sentence and ordered he serve a minimum 17 years behind bars.

It emerged Campbell had already served 16 previous jail-terms and had earlier convictions for violence.

Jurors heard how a witness had spotted Ms Doherty struggling to carry a child’s bike that he had previously seen outside the flat where Campbell and Cairns lived.

The man had gone to visit the couple when he passed her on the landing.

He recalled Cairns shouting at her to bring the bike back, Ms Doherty apologising and the women then “fighting”.

The witness told the trial that Campbell appeared, grabbed the victim and walked her down the stairs of the close.

He said when the killer came back, he asked for an ambulance to be called as Ms Doherty “fell”.

But, jurors heard during one police interview, the witness stated to officers he had “something to get off his chest”, which had made him “ill”.

Asked by prosecutor Alan Mackay during the trial what he told them, the witness replied: “That he shoved her”.

In a statement, the man said Campbell gave Ms Doherty “a full force push on the back just below the shoulder blades”.

He added Ms Doherty fell down the tenement stairs and there was a “loud thud” when she hit the ground.

The victim was described as “a mess” as the man called for help.

Ms Doherty died in hospital in Glasgow on July 26 2022.

In his evidence, Campbell admitted being at the scene. He denied being “angry”, but instead “upset” and “bemused” at the alleged taking of the bike.

Advocate depute Mr Mackay put to him there had been a fight, Campbell went to “bring it to an end” and “get rid” of Ms Doherty.

Campbell said: “Not in the way you are suggesting.”

He was also said to have made a number of callous remarks about Ms Doherty.

But, Campbell insisted the woman was the victim of a “tragic accident”.

Sentencing, Lord Arthurson said he had read “powerful” statements from Ms Doherty’s two brothers on the impact the death had on them and their mother.

The judge said: “This murder was unplanned, but standing the nature of the attack, the catastrophic injuries and the whole circumstances, the jury has determined you demonstrated a total indifference to her fate.”

Cairns did not face the murder accusation. She instead pled guilty during the trial to assaulting Ms Doherty to her injury before the killing.

Cairns – who is currently wearing an electronic tag following an earlier offence – will be sentenced in October.