Killer caught on CCTV brutally murdering man in broad daylight after 'handshake'

A murderer was captured on CCTV ruthlessly killing a man in broad daylight.

William Lewis, 56, fatally stabbed William Copeland just moments after the two men seemed to share an embrace. The brute then turned his knife on the victim's wheelchair-bound father, Thomas, 59, during the assault in Hamilton, Lanarkshire on October 21 last year.

Lewis pleaded guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder today as he stood in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow. He will find out the minimum term he will serve behind bars when he is sentenced in September.

Earlier on the day of the murder, William had been with his disabled father and another man when a brief "verbal altercation" with Lewis occurred.

The trio were later near Hamilton's Burnbank Centre when Lewis and a friend arrived, reports the Daily Record.

Prosecutor David Logan stated that William appeared in "good spirits", seen "shaking hands and hugging" both Lewis and the other man.

However, within seconds, Lewis became aggressive and brandished a purple-handled knife. The graphic CCTV footage of the attack was shown during today's hearing.

Several of William's grieving relatives wept as they watched, with at least one woman crying uncontrollably.

Mr Logan said: "Lewis, holding the knife in his left hand, stabbed William in the torso area while grabbing hold of him."

The victim fell to the ground but initially managed to stand up and stagger away a short distance. However, the thug pursued William, who fell again.

The prosecutor detailed the harrowing incident: "Lewis stood over him and stabbed him several times to the torso, head and neck area as he was on the ground."

CCTV footage showed Lewis brandishing the knife at William's father Thomas before stabbing him in the chest, causing him to topple off his chair.

The assailant continued to yell before casually walking away and concealing the knife in his pocket. Bystanders immediately came to the aid of both victims, with one performing CPR on William until the arrival of emergency services.

Tragically, William succumbed to his injuries, having sustained eight stab wounds. Mr Logan described the assault on William as "sustained".

Meanwhile, Thomas was swiftly taken to hospital for urgent surgery.

He was eventually released from the hospital; however, the court learned that the murder has inflicted a "traumatic effect" on him and other family members, particularly as he witnessed his son being attacked right before his eyes.

The court also heard about Lewis's criminal history, including a significant drug offence dating back to 2000. Lord Colbeck ordered that Lewis remain in custody as the case was adjourned pending further reports.

In the wake of the tragedy, William's sister Aggie Smith expressed the depth of the family's grief.

She lamented: "William would always be there for us. There are no words to describe how difficult this is.

"It really is soul-destroying. He would go out and play football with his nephews. William treated them as his own."