Fatal Incident Outside Renfrew Leisure Centre
A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after delivering a single punch that resulted in the death of a well-known amateur footballer.
Leon Beagan, 29, was found guilty of culpable homicide following the incident involving Andrew Lees, 27, which occurred outside Renfrew Leisure Centre on 5 November 2023.
Lees, affectionately known as Panda among friends, succumbed to his injuries in hospital after suffering a fatal rupture of an artery in his neck, which led to bleeding around his brain.
Sentencing and Impact on Family
During sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Douglas Brown described the death as "a tragedy" that left Lees' mother "completely shattered".
The victim was characterized as a "big friendly giant with a heart of gold" and was a player for the local team Glynhill Moorcroft AFC.
On the day of the incident, Lees had attended a football match before going to Davidson's Bar with a friend. The friend left around 23:30, but Lees remained and later was in the company of Beagan's half-sister, Skye Beagan.
Lees and Skye Beagan were later seen in Renfrew town centre before encountering Leon Beagan in the car park of the sports centre. CCTV footage captured the men appearing to confront each other.
Details of the Confrontation
Prosecutor William Frain-Bell, in his closing remarks to the jury, stated:
"It is not clear as to what the problem was between Skye Beagan, Andrew Lees and Leon Beagan. Things seemed to have kicked off when they came across each other."
The court heard that Beagan unexpectedly struck Lees on the head, prompting Lees to ask,
"What did you do that for?"
Lees then collapsed to the ground. Beagan walked away before others called for assistance.
Beagan was described as having shown a "callous disregard" for the consequences of his actions.
Paramedics attended the scene and treated Lees before he was transported to hospital, where he later died.
Judge's Remarks on Victim's Character and Family Loss
Judge Brown remarked that Lees was "plainly popular and much loved by many who knew him."
He added,
"The greatest impact will be on those close to him, in particular his mother Angela Lees. He was her only child. He was loving, kind and protective. When he was killed her life was completely shattered. She will never recover from her devastating loss."
