iStockA man who murdered a teenager after attacking him with a meat cleaver sent a video of himself to friends with his victim dying in the background.
Kevin Murray turned on Kirk Allan, 19, at his flat in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute in the early hours of July 25 2020.
The 34-year-old struck Mr Allan with a meat cleaver, choked him, bound and blind-folded the victim as well as zapping him in the face with pepper spray.
Murray then recorded a 45-second selfie-clip before forwarding it to shocked friends via Snapchat.
As the camera captured a stricken Kirk dying in the background, the killer said: “This is what happens when you are f****** being cheeky to me.
“Throw the first punch…and you are dead. Goodnight wee man.”
One man – who became emotional after re-watching the footage at the High Court in Glasgow – immediately contacted police.
Murray was found wandering the streets near his home. The burly thug claimed he and Mr Allan had been “play” mixed martial arts-fighting.
However he is now behind bars after being convicted of the teenager’s murder on Wednesday.
Murray was ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years in jail by judge Lady Stacey.
The trial heard how the pair along with another man had been playing computer games at Murray’s flat.
Mr Allan later turned up at the door of his friend Emma Willis with Murray hours before the killing.
The 20-year-old had never spoken to Murray before and found it odd he was wearing a balaclava on a summer’s night.
After taking it off, she told prosecutor Lorraine Glancy that Murray had an “evil” look.
Ms Willis then recalled: “I just got a really bad feeling. I just did not think [Mr Allan] should be with him.
“It was the whole dynamic. It was just very strange.”
Ms Willis told Murray that Kirk was her “best friend” adding: “Please look after him.”
The teenager ended up back at Murray’s home, where he would later be subjected to a brutal attack then left lifeless on his floor.
At 5.10am, Murray sent the Snapchat video to a string of contacts.
Jamie Bailey – who had gone to school with Murray – opened the message.
The 27-year-old firefighter looked on the verge of tears as he viewed the clip again from the witness box.
He recalled: “I just remember seeing someone lying on the floor. He did not look conscious.
“I sat on the couch and the severity of what happened set in. I dialled 999.”
Jamie Hamilton, 31, also got the clip and was left “shocked” and “upset”.
Another man was a friend of Kirk’s brother Chris, who had been concerned about his sibling that night.
Police found a “calm and compliant” Murray strolling in the street around 6.30am.
He handed over his phone which still had the video stored on it.
PC Ross Easton told the trial: “We asked: ‘Who is that?’. He said: ‘That’s Kirk Allan. We were MMA play-fighting and things got out of hand’.”
Murray also said pepper spray had been used. Police went on to find a black-handled meat cleaver in his jeans.
Other officers went on to make the grim discovery of Mr Allan’s body at the flat.
The cause of death included blunt force head trauma and asphyxia.
Murray had previously tried to plead guilty to the reduced accusation of culpable homicide at an earlier hearing.
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