Woman and two men who murdered grandfather Brian Maley with knife and chisel jailed for total of 50 years

Three killers convicted of the horrific murder of a grandfather at his flat have been jailed for a total of more than 50 years.

Maria Gardiner, 47, Michael Anderson, 40, and James Houston, 35, killed Brian Maley after walking the miles from Glasgow’s Govan to the victim’s home in the city’s Springburn.

The 52 year-old was subjected to a brutal ordeal on February 8 2022 including being stabbed with a knife and chisel.

The killers were later caught with Gardiner and Houston arrested at a city centre hotel having spent Valentine’s Day together.

The trio were all handed life sentences at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday having all earlier been convicted of murder.

They had also been found guilty of assaulting Mr Maley’s partner to her injury at the flat that morning.

Gardiner and Anderson were each ordered to serve a minimum 18 years.

Houston was jailed for at least 18 and a half years as he had been on bail at the time.

Lord Fairley told them they all set off that day with “the intention of doing harm” to Mr Maley.

The judge said: “You took with you a toolbox containing items, some of which were ultimately used as weapons.

“You subjected him to a vicious attack which included multiple penetrating injuries.

“The jury accepted that…all three of you were party to and participated in the plan to assault Mr Maley in such a way that his death was a foreseeable outcome.

“I have also read the victim impact statements from Mr Maley’s three daughters.

“Their grief at the devastating consequences of your actions are painfully apparent.”

Jurors at the trial had watched CCTV of the trio initially walking from Govan into the city centre before getting a taxi to Mr Maley’s home.

Houston was wearing a orange hi-vis top. They also had the toolbox.

It was at the flat Mr Maley and his partner were brutally attacked.

Jurors were shown photos of the scene after what happened.

The killers went on to stop a taxi driver at a petrol station to get a lift back to Govan.

They were later held with Gardiner and Houston – who had recently started a relationship – having stayed at the Premier Inn in the city’s Charing Cross after the killing.

In his evidence, Houston told his KC Murray Macara: “I am sorry to the family. I never knew that someone was going to be assaulted, knifed or murdered.”

He said Anderson had apparently gone there to “collect something owed to him”.

Houston said: “If I knew that was going to happen, I would not have gone at all. Michael just said ‘go with me’ and I went.”

He added he had “been played” and was just an “innocent bystander”

He was questioned about a text he sent Anderson before the murder stating: “When we fighting with c***s”.

But, he claimed that – and another message which included the ‘bicep’ emoji – was just “fake bravado”.

After the verdict in January, prosecutor Michael Macintosh told the court: “Brian Maley was a father and grandfather.

“He is survived by three adult daughters – two who have attended the trial each day.

“He is also survived by six grandchildren. The youngest was born just before this trial commenced.

“He was eagerly awaiting the birth of his first grandson at the time.”

Lawyers for the three killers told the hearing on Monday that they continued to deny the murder.