Richard Wotherspoon stabbed Samuel Hamilton to death after watching Rangers' defeat in Europa League Final

A man has admitted stabbing a dad to death after he had been out watching Rangers Europa League Final defeat.

Richard Wotherspoon, 33, repeatedly stabbed Samuel Hamilton, before his 82-year-old mum Bridget battled in vain to save her son’s life.

The 56-year-old – known as Sammy – never survived having been knifed in the neck – as CCTV captured Wotherspoon fleeing the scene of the attack in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, on May 18, 2022.

Wotherspoon, who had been released from prison just weeks before the attack, pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday to a murder charge.

It emerged he already had a lengthy criminal past including a rape conviction in 2006.

Lord Armstrong remanded Wotherspoon in custody and deferred sentencing for reports until April 19 in Lanark.

Prosecutor Euan Cameron told how in July 2021 there had been an “incident” between Mr Hamilton and Wotherspoon outside the home of the victim’s daughter.

Wotherspoon later needed hospital treatment amid accusations he had been hit with a shovel, before turning up back at Mr Hamilton’s daughter’s house armed with an axe.

This ended up with Wotherspoon being sentenced to 18 months in April 2022 – but the term was backdated to when he was first remanded, meaning he was freed immediately.

This resulted in him being back on the streets and he instantly targeted Mr Hamilton.

In the weeks before the murder, he was seen in the dad’s street and told a number of people that he “intended to harm” Mr Hamilton.

This included him warning he was going to “get done”.

On the night of the killing, Mr Cameron told how Rangers had been playing Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League Final.

The advocate depute added Wotherspoon had watched the game on TV at his sister’s home while Mr Hamilton had done the same at his daughter’s.

After the match, Wotherspoon went to Mr Hamilton’s street, where he was captured by CCTV in possession of a blade.

He yelled at the victim: “Sammy, Sammy…me and you. Know what I mean.”

Wotherspoon tailed the victim into his garden and stated: “What happened that night – I just want to go over it.”

Soon after, Mr Hamilton was heard to “cry out” as Wotherspoon and his associate Taylor Rooney ran off.

A neighbour initially came to stricken Mr Hamilton’s aid. He managed to say: “I’ve been stabbed in the neck.”

Mr Cameron explained: “The witness went upstairs to call 999.

“When she returned, Samuel Hamilton was lying in the doorway and his 82-year-old mother was holding a towel to his neck.