Crazed killer wanted to ‘finish off’ neighbour after series of petty parking rows, victim’s family claims
SHATTERED loved ones of murdered builder Dave Newton told how his killer “wanted to finish him off once and for all” after a series of petty domestic disputes.
Brute Jorgo Pano, 44, had a long-running row with Dave over parking and planning disagreements in the normally quiet street in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
The neighbours had traded insults before tensions boiled over on Sunday, March 7 last year.
Air conditioner installer Pano first hurled paint over his fence late at night which splattered onto the Newtons’ car.
Hours later, in the afternoon, Pano was out gardening when he was confronted by Dave’s son-in-law Lee Harris.
Pano smacked Lee with a spade before Dave, 48, his wife Angela, 51, and other neighbours came out to defuse the tension.
The fight seemed to end when Pano retreated into his house with then-pregnant wife Fiona, 38.
But once inside he grabbed his biggest kitchen knife, charged out of his house in a blind rage and plunged it into Dave’s neck in front of horrified relatives and friends.
Greek-Albanian and dad-of-three Pano was caged for at least 16 years at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday by judge Lord Beckett.
Dave’s wife Angela, 51, raised her fist in court after the verdict was returned and whispered “thank you” to jurors.
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Close family friend and witness Stevie Traynor, 50, gave a statement to the Scottish Sun on behalf of Dave’s heartbroken family.
It stated: “It’s an extremely quiet street with good neighbours. I think we all agree that Pano had it in his mind he wanted to finish Dave off once and for all.”
It added: “Angela’s absolutely devastated, and the loss to the family is huge.
“It was totally and utterly out of the blue – it’s an absolutely devastating loss.
“Pano has no realisation of the grief and terror he brought that day.
“Dave was so well-respected and highly thought of.
“He was a quiet gentle giant of a man who walked his dog, looked after his family and worked hard.”
The sickening daylight attack on a sunny Sunday afternoon was caught on home CCTV.
“Pano has no realisation of the grief and terror he brought that day.”
Dave – described as a “quiet gentle giant” and dad to both a son and step-daughter – died three days later in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Pal Stevie recalled the horror events of the murder and told how he tried to save his pal.
He added: “They had been neighbours for around eight years.
“It started with some petty complaints over building work that Dave was carrying out then escalated to the parking situation.
“Pano just came charging out of his house with his biggest butcher’s knife, and was absolutely fixated on Dave.
“Sadly he stabbed him in the neck. I personally fought so hard to save Dave’s life on his doorstep that day.
“I was determined I would not let him die on his own doorstep in front of his wife and family. That lives with you.”
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Pano had tried to claim at court the killing had been accidental and he had only wanted to “scare” the Newtons off by waving the knife.
He told jurors he had “deliberately picked the biggest knife so there would be more fear” and that he only made contact with Dave after slipping.
His wife Fiona appeared as a witness to try to back up his claims.
But jurors took just over two hours to convict him of murder, as well as assaulting Lee. He had already admitted spitting in Angela’s face.
He slammed Pano’s “constant lies trying to make himself out as the victim saying he was in fear for his life.”
Pano’s murderous assault was captured by high-quality cameras installed by Dave at his house after his neighbour had spat on Angela a year before.
Pano’s defence lawyer Iain McSporran QC added: “I’m not sure I can recall a murder trial in which the word ‘senseless’ was more appropriate.”
Judge Lord Beckett old Pano: “The bad relations with your neighbours over many years presents no justification.
“You contributed significantly to the difficulties between the two families.
“You selected the largest knife from your kitchen, left the safety of your home and charged toward Mr Newton determined to stab him.”
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