Racist duo attacked Chinese students and four strangers within hours in Glasgow city centre

Two racists assaulted eight strangers, including a group of Chinese students, within a matter of hours in Glasgow city centre.

Liam Murphy and Bradley Lawrie were told by a judge that their crimes had shamed Glasgow.

The pair carried out eight assaults on strangers in the one night in the city centre last September 14.

Murphy, 19, and Lawrie, 20, have now admitted their guilt as they appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.

Prosecutor Shanti Maguire told how the attacks occurred over a period of four and a half hours that evening.

The court heard how four Chinese students had arrived in the city at 7pm.

Around 8.30pm, the men were startled by the sound of bottles smashing as they walked on St Vincent Street.

Miss Maguire said: “[One victim] observed Murphy and Lawrie shouting at the group.

“He could not understand all of what was being said, but could hear they were shouting ‘c****y’ from across the street.”

The men confronted the students before punching and pushing them.

One victim was repeatedly hit on the head, Murphy headbutted another, also striking a third on the mouth.

The duo then grabbed glass bottles from a nearby bin and started hurling them at the frightened men.

One victim was hit three times by the weapons causing a cut head, blurred vision and bruising to his shoulder. Another was also struck.

Miss Maguire: “Murphy and Lawrie then approached the group shouting ‘f***ing c****s’ amongst other aggressive words.”

One victim was left scarred for life from the head wound, two others had lip injuries. Another escaped being physically hurt.

The assailants had already attacked their first victim that night.

Another man was chased before being pushed outside the Sir John Moore pub in Glasgow’s Argyle Street.

Both punched and kicked him before they fled into nearby Hope Street.

This victim suffered a number of wounds to his head.

After the assaults on the students, Murphy turned on a stranger near Buchanan Street as he walked to a bar with a friend.

Murphy kicked the man to the ground, then smashed a beer bottle over his head.

The victim ended up with a cut to his forehead.

A man from Aberdeen was at Glasgow Central Station when he was pushed and tripped up as he tried to walk past them.

Murphy then kicked this victim as he lay on the ground.

The man got to his feet before Lawrie struggled with him, and Murphy punched him again, causing him to tumble backwards and hit a railing.

Miss Maguire: “Murphy and Lawrie then repeatedly kicked and stamped on [the victim’s] head and body while he lay motionless on the ground.

“Lawrie walked away. However, Murphy ran back and stamped again on [the victim].”

After the pair ran off, police found the victim still on the ground with a number of obvious injuries.

He had three broken ribs, fluid around the lungs, a suspected fractured nose and a “golf ball-sized” swelling at his right eye.

The final attack that evening was on a hotel worker. He was pounced upon near the station as Murphy demanded his phone and cigarettes.

The man refused, but was then punched and had a glass bottle chucked at him.

In a separate incident on April 26 this year, Murphy assaulted another man with a vodka bottle after being told to get out of a house in the city’s Easterhouse.

Murphy pled guilty to nine mostly aggravated assault charges, Lawrie a total of seven.

The offences involving the Chinese students were deemed to be racist due to the ethnicity of the victims.

Lord Cubie deferred sentencing until next month for reports.

In remarks, he told the pair: “You have pled guilty to a series of disgraceful, savage and apparently motiveless assaults randomly targeting strangers in Glasgow city centre over a four and half hour period.

“The behaviour must have been terrifying for the victims.

“It is utterly shameful, and it disfigures Glasgow’s reputation.”

The judge said he had already read two victim impact statements, adding it was clear how affected they had been by what happened.

Murphy and Lawrie were remanded in custody.