A thug who broke a baseball bat over his neighbour’s head during a brutal lift attack has been jailed.

Violent Stephen Gallagher, 34, lay in wait with partner Donna McArthur, 34, for the elevator doors to open before battering terrified Kevin Hodge.

CCTV footage shown at Paisley Sheriff Court showed Gallagher hitting Mr Hodge with a baseball bat so hard that it broke, while McArthur rained down kicks and punches.

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The pair launched their shocking attack in high rise block Nethercraigs Court in March this year after a long-running dispute with Mr Hodge came to a disturbing head.

They had both previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Hodge and appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday to learn their fate.

Fiscal depute Emma Thomson told the court that the pair steamed into the lift to attack Mr Hodge while a terrified witness looked on.

She said: “Mr Hodge was set upon by the accused, who were in possession of a baseball bat. Miss McArthur pulled him, punched and kicked him to his face and body. Gallagher joined in and punched Mr Hodge.

“The attack continued with both kicking and punching Mr Hodge. At 5.21pm Gallagher retrieved a baseball bat that he had placed outside the lift.

“He struck him with the baseball bat which subsequently snapped. They continued punching and kicking him.

“Mr Hodge tried to leave the elevator but was kicked in the face, forcing him back.”

CCTV footage showed Gallagher raise the bat above his head and smash it down on Hodge several times before it broke and he continued to lay into Mr Hodge.

Gallagher’s defence agent Chris McKenna told the court that Mr Hodge and his attackers had been in a long-running feud that had come to a head a few days before the attack.

He said: “Mr Gallagher understands that this is a very serious matter. This is a very serious charge he has pleaded guilty to.”

He went on to explain how Mr Hodge had shouted abuse and threats down to Gallagher’s flat in the days that led to the lift incident.

Kirsty McGeehan, who was acting on behalf of McArthur, of Fereneze Drive, Paisley, told the court that her client was a mother of two and that her actions were completely out of character, but she had come to the end of her tether with Mr Hodge’s behaviour.

Sheriff James Spy said: “After viewing of the CCTV you should be ashamed of your actions.

“I accept there is a background to this with shouts, threats and abuse, but that doesn’t explain you taking matters into your own hands and dishing out summary justice.

“You can’t take matters into your own hands.”

On sentencing Gallagher, formerly of Nerthercraigs Court, Paisley, to eight months behind bars, Sheriff Spy said: “You took a weapon, you used the weapon and you broke the weapon in your attack.”

He told McArthur that she had narrowly avoided a prison sentence, ordering her to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work in the community.