Mohammad Abu Sammour: Third man guilty of killing security guard

A third man has been convicted of killing a security supervisor.

Billy Hay, 20, was involved in the fatal attack on Mohammed Abu Sammour in North Lanarkshire in 2018.

Mr Sammour was beaten and then reversed over in his own works van. The 49-year-old father-of-four suffered fractures to his skull, face and ribs and he was partially scalped.

A jury at the High Court in Glasgow found Hay guilty of Mr Sammour's culpable homicide.

In 2019, Scott Pearson was jailed for life for the murder of Mr Sammour and ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years.

Ryan Hunter admitted the lesser charge of culpable homicide and was jailed for six years.

The court heard that the three men decided to steal a Peugeot van as they walked through the Torrance Gardens housing development in Newarthill late at night on 18 October 2018.

Their joyriding plan turned violent after discovering Mr Sammour sitting in the van.

He tried to chase them away but he ended up being punched, kicked, hit with a brick and knuckleduster as well as being stamped on.

Jurors heard that when a householder discovered Mr Sammour, he appeared to be praying for his life.

Mr Sammour never recovered and died in hospital. His van was later discovered burnt out.

Hay had denied being involved, instead pinning the blame on Pearson and Hunter.

Both Hunter and Pearson gave evidence at this latest trial.

Hunter said Hay attacked Mr Sammour that night and while Pearson claimed he had not seen Hay in years, it emerged he instead told his mother he had been there at the killing.

Judge Lord Arthurson told Hay: "The jury decided you were responsible for the killing of Mr Sammour by the circumstances of the Crown case at trial.

"You left others to provide assistance to him as the victim lay dying.

"These people should be commended for their actions for doing what they could for Mr Sammour, who we heard in evidence was praying in the knowledge of his imminent death."

Sentence was deferred until next month and Hay was remanded in custody.