A WESTCLIFF thug has been jailed for five years for leading a horrific knife robbery which left a man badly injured and scarred for life.

William Fraser Brown, 55, of Ashton View, and two other men were last week convicted of the brutal attack on their victim in Clydebank, described by a sheriff as “wanton brutality”.

William Fraser Brown, and his accomplices William Brown junior, 33, and James Gallacher, 41, both of Overtoun Court, Dalmuir, Clydebank, were all convicted by a jury following a trial last month at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

This week the three, who showed no emotion as they sat in the dock awaiting sentence, were each jailed for a total of five years and each sentenced to a further three years on licence when they are finally released.

Heartless Brown junior turned and smiled at family members in the public benches as he was led away in handcuffs to begin his sentence.

A sheriff was told that such were the length and depth of the severe gaping head wounds that the three inflicted on their terrified victim that it took two doctors during an emergency operation to repair the massive cuts.

Brown senior and junior and Gallacher were found guilty of carrying out the chilling knife attack on October 27, 2016, at a path adjacent to the Forth and Clyde canal, near to Boquhanran Road, Clydebank.

The jury found the three guilty of punching him on the head, knocking him to the ground and sitting astride him. They pinned him to the ground and repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a knife to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

The three men then robbed the victim of a set of keys and £63 and left him in a pool of blood. Gallacher, at the time, was on bail from Glasgow Justice of the Peace Court, an order imposed on him on July 21, 2016.

Defence lawyer Roddy Boag, appearing for Brown junior, said: “He is entirely realistic about the case and that custody will follow.” The matter proceeded to trial and the verdict was guilty. He appreciates a custodial sentence is inevitable.

Brown senior’s solicitor, Kenny Clark, added: “He has some significant health problems. He knows he is going to custody for a lengthy period. My client’s record is the least significant of the three, having been admonished at the JP Court in 1997 and a fine in 2004.

“He has no history of having served a custodial sentence previously, that said an extended sentence in this case would be applicable. He has been on remand since October 13.”

Gallacher’s agent, David McCaig, went on: “The court’s sentencing powers may be stretched but hopefully not to breaking point. The penal system has changed dramatically in recent years.“In the whole circumstance I would ask that you take into account my client’s last conviction for assault was back in 2000. “He has had other convictions on other matters, one in May 2012 and he also served 15 months from a conviction in 2008.“He realises he has let his mother down significantly. She is ill and obviously he will not be there for her. That will mean his time in custody will be even harder to bear. He plans to remain drug free.”

Sentencing, Sheriff William Gallacher, said: “This was planned, organised, determined and pre-meditated savage violence and took two doctors to fix the bleeding wounds to the top of his victim’s head.

“I considered remit to the High Court, but this can just be dealt with at sheriff court level. The use of bladed weapons have become a malaise on this community.

“Each of you have significantly differing records, but I will deal with this case on an equal basis and your involvement was the same. I must say however, William Fraser Brown you were the driving force behind this attack.

“All three of you acted in a savage manner and it was nothing short of wanton brutality.

“A custodial sentence, and a significant one at that, is the only option to this court. Each of you pose an extreme risk to the community, and for that reason I will also be imposing extended sentences on you all.”

Their jail terms were each backdated to October 19, when they were convicted by the jury.

The conditions of the three years extended sentence will be determined by Scottish ministers.