A driver was beaten to a pulp by a thug who targeted him for being in "his scheme".
Shaun Bishop and his pal Gordon Bain targeted Brian Lappin in the unprovoked attack as he sat in his car in the Gallowhill area of Paisley.
The pair rained blows on the victim's head and body through the window of the black Vauxhall Astra, telling him: "This is my scheme, I run this scheme."
Bishop, 30, then launched a brick through the car window, tried to pull him out and warned him to get out of the area, the Paisley Daily Express reports.
The thug is the brother of murder victim Kevin Bishop, who was mutilated in a killing that shook the town in 2018.
He appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court on Friday, where he was jailed for the brutal attack on Motehill Road, as well as a cowardly attempt to defeat the ends of justice by trying to bribe a witness to blame the second attacker.
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The court heard that Mr Lappin had been parked in the street talking to his friend Robert Todd when Bishop and Bain approached them “scowling” and shouting.
Procurator fiscal depute David McDonald explained that Bishop and Bain stood in front of the car to prevent Mr Lappin from driving away before stealing his keys from the ignition to stop him from escaping.
The pair began shouting and swearing at their victim, telling him to "get out the f*****g car" before initiating the violent beating.
Mr McDonald said: “Mr Lappin put his right arm above his head to protect himself and kept his left arm around the steering wheel.
“Mr Lappin could feel that he was bleeding from his head and face at this time.
“The accused and the other male continued to punch him repeatedly and physically remove him from the vehicle, shouting ‘get out’.”
It was at this point that Bishop grabbed a brick, which he threw at the windscreen, causing it to smash, and then again at the passenger window - damaging the door pillar.
Bain, who is due to be sentenced for this offence next month, began jabbing Mr Lappin in the head with his own car keys and then jumped on the windscreen of the car, smashing it further.
The out-of-control thugs then threw his keys back, allowing him to flee from the street.
Mr McDonald added: “At this time, Robert Todd, who had been driving away from the street, was stopped by a member of the public.
“He was told that Mr Lappin was being assaulted by two males, at which point he called the police and returned to the street where he saw them both walking into a common close there.
“Police attended the home of Mr Lappin where the vehicle involved was traced in the driveway and was observed to have a smashed windscreen.
“Mr Lappin was observed to be covered in blood, a laceration to his forehead as well as swelling and bruising around his head and face.
“He was conveyed to hospital by police.”
Mr Lappin was left with three wounds to his head which required treatment - one 3.5cm cut on his head which needed three stitches, one 2cm cut on the back of his head and a 1cm wound on the top of his head.
He was left with burst blood vessels in both eyes, while one eye was bruised and swollen.
The court heard his head injuries had left permanent scarring.
Bishop was arrested the same day as the attack and was remanded in custody on October 18, 2021.
Three days following his arrest, on October 21, he called Robert Todd and tried to bribe him with cash to retract his statement.
He also threatened Mr Todd, saying "I’ll fill you with holes" if he did not change his story.
Mr McDonald added: “On a further occasion before January 22, 2022, Mr Todd received a further phone call telling him to change his statement and tell the courts that it was Gibby who was responsible and that the accused was attempting to intervene and help.
“Mr Todd confirmed that Gibby is the nickname of the other male involved in the assault.”
Bishop admitted assaulting Mr Lappin to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement during the attack on October 16 last year.
He also admitted trying to pervert the course of justice on two occasions by attempting to get Mr Todd to change his statements.
Bishop’s lawyer Mr Mitchell said his client had been terrified of ruining his relationship and had been desperately trying to get out of jail, leading him to make the phone calls.
He said: “He describes his behaviour as disgraceful and utterly unacceptable.
“His girlfriend was on holiday for ten days and he reconnected with old friends who he often drinks too much.
“He did not want to lose that relationship as he knows she will not accept that kind of behaviour.
“He has no convictions of assault, but he accepts that there is no other appropriate disposal other than a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Brian Mohan slammed Bishop for the “vicious and unprovoked” assault which he said was clearly “territorial” in
nature.
Bishop was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
