Murderers jailed for stabbing man dead on his doorstep

Two men who murdered a dad on his doorstep have been jailed.

Michael Toal, 50, and Terence Morgan, 32, killed Alan Ritchie on March 10 last year.

Jurors heard how the 61-year-old begged a concierge for help after he was stabbed at his 16th-floor flat in Glasgow’s Carnwadric.

Morgan and Toal were both convicted of murder on Monday.

Lady Rae ordered Toal to serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars and Morgan 19 years following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Murderers: Michael Toal and Terence Morgan killed Mr Ritchie. Police Scotland

Jurors heard how the killers were clocked within the tower block in the city’s Kennishead Avenue.

The stricken victim Mr Ritchie went on to call the concierge, stating: “Get an ambulance. I have been stabbed.”

He never survived the attack having been knifed on the head and body.

His friend told the court how he had seen fellow Rangers fan Mr Ritchie shortly before the killing to discuss watching a game.

The neighbour said: “We spoke at the door. He seemed to be in a rush.

“He did not hang about, so I went back downstairs [to his flat].”

After returning home, the neighbour went on to hear banging in his landing and someone shouting a nickname for Mr Ritchie.

He then left his flat and found a scar-faced man appearing “impatient, possibly hostile”.

Shown a photo of Morgan in court, the witness said this looked like the individual.

He said: “I spent nothing more than a couple of minutes with him. I just wanted him off the floor.”

Prosecutor Angela Gray asked the witness: “After Thomas Morgan left, did you hear anything else?”

The neighbour responded: “Nothing for a couple of hours and that would have been the police arriving.”

Morgan and Toal were captured on CCTV going down several flights of stairs in the building, appearing to be armed.

Both denied murder during the trial. Each already had a lengthy history of violence.

Sentencing, Lady Rae said: “You have been convicted of murdering a man at the door of his home.

“It is clear from the evidence that you both armed yourselves with a knife.

“Both persisted with this attack and nothing can be said in mitigation for this terrible killing.

“The victim impact statements tell of a family who is suffering greatly the loss of a loved one.”

After the court case, detective chief inspector Alan McAlpine said: “I want to take this opportunity to thank members of the public for coming forward and assisting with our investigation, which led to this prosecution.

“This guilty verdict will never bring Alan back but hopefully it will bring some sense of justice to his family.

“Violent crime has no place in society and we will work alongside our partners at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice and removed from our communities.”