Copyright dailyrecord
A mum who watched her son die from a stab wound to the heart after an “assassination” by a gang of men has spoken of her six year wait for justice . Tony Ferns was stabbed as he sat in his car having just dropped his girlfriend off at her home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire. The 33-year-old managed to drive a short distance to his home but died in front of his mother and partner after the April 2019 attack which saw four men jailed for a total of more than 80 years. Now, his mum Phyllis has thanked those who helped secure the long-awaited sentences, saying they also brought justice to her late disabled son Mark, who a court heard had been central to the feud that sparked Tony’s murder. The 67-year-old said: “My hopes of justice for my son Tony came true after waiting six years and five months. “The four men accused of Tony’s murder were found unanimously guilty by the jury at the High Court in Glasgow . The sentence for one of them also brings justice for my son Mark, who was knocked down by a car in 2012.” Craig Colquhoun, 39, Joseph McCulloch, 50, Raymond Platt, 56, and Robert Park, 69, were convicted of murder in September. The trial heard Mr Ferns had been murdered following a ‘feud’ with Park, who he blamed him for his disabled brother being injured in a road accident several years earlier. Park was said to have been the “instigator” in plotting the killing after a number of clashes between the pair. Phyllis Ferns was called to give evidence on the first day of the case. The court heard how her other son Mark, who was registered blind, had died in 2017 and had been in a road accident five years earlier. Mrs Ferns agreed her son had a “grudge” against Park, believing he had “made the phone call” which brought the car into the street, knocking down his sibling. Park had denied this. Prosecutors said Platt carried out the stabbing while Colquhoun had been the getaway driver. The court heard McCulloch had tracked Mr Ferns’ movements before the attack. Lord Fairley called the murder “a targeted and pre-planned assassination”. Platt - already a convicted killer - was jailed for a minimum 23 years while former engineering firm site manager McCulloch was sentenced to at least 18 years. The Court of Appeal in Edinburgh confirmed lawyers for each man are now challenging the conviction. Park and Colquhoun were ordered to serve at least 20 years each. In a statement, Mrs Ferns added: “I want to thank Police Scotland’s major investigations team of officers and my family liaison officers. I never ever lost faith in the fact that these officers worked extremely hard and were dedicated to getting justice for me. “My thanks goes to the Procurator Fiscals and also all of the victim information and advice staff, who were of great support to me throughout the trial. “My thanks also to the court clerks, security and the amazing human beings that were the jury. I will be forever grateful for your hard work and patience during the deliberation of your verdict. “Special thanks to Gemma, my Victim Support worker, and thanks also to PETAL counselling service. “Lastly, my deepest thanks to my family and friends. I could not have gotten through all of this without them.”
