MAN JAILED FOR 17 YEARS FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF PARTNER
A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years for the brutal murder of his partner at their home in North Lanarkshire.John-Paul McLaughlan admitted to killing Stacey Warnock, aged 51, at their residence on Barra Drive, Airdrie, just before Christmas in 2022.
The court was told that McLaughlan covered his ears and sobbed as the prosecutor described the attack as "brutal".
Ms Warnock, originally from the USA and raised in Scotland, suffered at least 58 injuries to her head, neck, and body.
The details of the killing were presented to the court, revealing that the couple had started dating in 1998, separated, and then rekindled their relationship in 2010 before moving in together four years later.
On the night of December 16, 2022, they were last seen together when a supermarket delivery was made, and a neighbor heard noises including "a thump" the following morning.
Neighbors described McLaughlan as appearing "unkempt and gaunt" during that weekend.
During this time, McLaughlan sent bizarre messages to a workmate, claiming: "Stacey is gone.
She cannot handle it.
She cannot move," indicating he had killed her and tried to harm himself.
He later told police he had killed Stacey, claiming it was in self-defense and that he had done it using the same knife and had nothing to hide.
The court heard that McLaughlan had no recollection of the attack, stating only that he had a "fractured memory of an argument" where Stacey allegedly threw an iron at him.
He was found guilty and was sentenced by Lord Doherty to life imprisonment with a minimum of 17 years, noting this was a "brutal, merciless and sustained attack".
The police confirmed the attack involved a high level of violence and expressed hope that the conviction would offer some closure to Stacey’s family and friends.
