There are moments when a day’s sunshine — even in the heart of a busy city — can feel like the quiet promise of ordinary life, until an eruption of violence suddenly shifts the scene. On a spring afternoon in Possilpark, north Glasgow, such a day took an irreversible turn on 18 May 2024 when a confrontation that began with a punch ended in a tragic loss of life. For those who watched the events unfold on CCTV and later followed them into the courtroom, the sequence of actions — simple in appearance yet profound in consequence — became a stark reminder of how quickly everyday interactions can spiral into serious harm.
It began near Saracen Street, where 27‑year‑old Brian Gough was with his girlfriend and had a seemingly ordinary exchange with Kyle Shanley, 28, the younger brother of 37‑year‑old Kevin Shanley. What followed was a moment of tension: Brian unexpectedly punched Kyle Shanley, catching him “by surprise,” according to prosecutors at the High Court in Glasgow. A brief but heated encounter quickly escalated as the parties moved toward the nearby Saracen Store, and the atmosphere shifted from casual to fraught.
Security footage played at the trial showed the brothers and Mr. Gough’s companion together, initially without hostility. But after the initial blow, Kyle Shanley made a call to his older brother, and the situation began to unfold with gravity none could have anticipated. Inside the store, a separate sequence showed Kyle “swiping” at Mr. Gough with a knife, though the victim was able to push him aside. From there, Kevin Shanley — having taken the knife — lunged at Brian Gough in the doorway of the shop, delivering a fatal stab wound.
Witnesses and investigators described the attack as sudden and violent, with Mr. Gough collapsing at the scene before collapsing fully as blood covered his shirt. He was taken to hospital but never recovered, dying the following day. The force of the blade struck his heart in a way that left him fighting for life until the next morning.
At the High Court, prosecutors urged jurors to consider both brothers’ roles, stating that Kyle’s actions — though he did not deliver the fatal blow — formed part of a “plan to use serious violence” that day. Nonetheless, the jury found Kevin Shanley guilty of murder, while Kyle was cleared of murder but convicted of a reduced charge of assault. The judge continued Kevin Shanley’s remand in custody pending sentencing, with a life sentence anticipated later in 2026.
Neighbors and community members who once knew Brian Gough as a “well‑liked” local expressed profound sorrow at his death, describing the incident as both shocking and senseless. Detective Chief Inspector Laura Young noted the devastating impact on Mr. Gough’s family and hoped that the convictions would provide some measure of comfort, even though no legal outcome can truly heal the loss.
This tragic sequence — a single punch followed by a fatal escalation — brings into sharp focus broader issues of knife violence, retaliation and the unforeseen weight of split‑second decisions. It serves as a solemn testament to how conflict, once unleashed, can have lasting and irreversible effects on families and communities.
In straight news terms: 37‑year‑old Kevin Shanley has been found guilty of murdering 27‑year‑old Brian Gough in Glasgow after Mr. Gough punched Kevin’s younger brother, Kyle Shanley. The fatal stabbing took place outside a shop on Saracen Street in Possilpark on 18 May 2024, and Mr. Gough died of his injuries the next day. Kyle Shanley was convicted of a reduced assault charge; Kevin Shanley faces sentencing in 2026.
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Sources : STV News The Scottish Sun