Jonathan Graham, who was jailed for 19 years for the murder of 45-year-old Craig Swan in Glasgow, has died behind bars. The Scottish Prison Service confirmed Graham died aged 50 on September 1 while serving his sentence at HMP Shotts.
Murder in Drumchapel
Graham was convicted of murder in November 2022 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. The killing took place at a flat in the city's Drumchapel area in April 2021.
The trial heard that a number of people had tried to contact the victim on 21 April, the day he was murdered. Alexander McFarlane and Thomas Rossini, who both knew the victim, found his body the next day after forcing open the flat door when they did not hear from Mr Swan.
Evidence and conviction
Prosecutor Greg Farrell told the trial: "There was a cushion over his face and a polythene bag. He was obviously dead." The court heard Graham's DNA was found on Mr Swan's face, hooded top, wrist brace and sock.
Detectives also trawled CCTV around the time of the killing. Graham was seen going into the front entrance of the close in Jedworth Road where Mr Swan lived at 9.48pm that night and leaving at 10.16pm. Mr Farrell said: "I submit this was Graham and that, at some point during those 28 minutes, he entered Craig Swan's flat and killed him."
Graham was identified from his "distinctive" walking style. It was also discovered he had deleted all earlier contact with Mr Swan from his phone. The court heard the victim had been stabbed "repeatedly and deliberately" a total of 25 times and suffered blunt force trauma to the head and body.
Aftermath
When Graham was jailed in 2022, the High Court in Edinburgh heard he still insisted police had arrested the wrong man, but he respected the jury's verdict. Graham's lawyer, Gary Allan KC, told the court that Graham maintained his innocence following the guilty verdict. He added: "For what it is worth, Jonathan Graham has indicated he feels a great sadness by the death of Mr Swan - it is a matter of huge regret that Mr Swan has died."
Judge Douglas Brown told Graham the crime was "brutal and ferocious". He added: "Eight of these wounds were potentially fatal. The injury to the heart was so severe that death was inevitable within minutes."
The Scottish Prison Service says that with each death in custody, Police Scotland are advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Fatal Accident Inquiries are held in due course into the circumstances.
