Man convicted of Culpable Homicide in death of Andrew Best is barred from private hire driving in Glasgow

John Maguire, who was locked up in 2008, applied to Glasgow City Council for a three-year licence.

But licensing chiefs turned down his application after an objection from Police Scotland.

The committee heard how Mr Maguire, who did not attend the digital meeting, was sentenced to four years in jail for culpable homicide following an incident in the car park of a Cumbernauld garden centre.

Andrew Best, 44, died from injuries sustained during the attack.

David Hughes was also jailed for his part in the incident after being convicted of murder at the High Court in Glasgow in 2009.

A police representative told licensing chiefs how Mr Maguire and “another male” had confronted a “known associate” in Cumbernauld on June 4, 2007.

She said: “The male accompanying Mr Maguire produced a lockback knife and began stabbing the victim to the legs while he was still within the vehicle.”

Mr Maguire “preceded to strike the victim twice to the head with a wheel brace” as he tried to escape his vehicle, the officer added.

She said the pair left the scene “leaving the victim unaided” and he “succumbed to his injuries”.

Mr Maguire was later sentenced to a further 18 months imprisonment in 2009 for contempt of court, licensing chiefs heard.

They were also told about a string of driving offences committed by the applicant.

The police officer said Mr Maguire had been fined for driving “without a full view ahead” in 2016 after “not having cleared frost from his windscreen”.

He was fined again in 2018 for driving without insurance, it was reported.

The officer said Mr Maguire had several spent convictions, but the Chief Constable believed they should be heard due to the “nature” and “pattern”.

She said he was given community service and disqualified from driving for two years in 2004 after he failed to stop for police officers, sped away and collided with a lamppost. He admitted to driving without insurance when questioned.

In 2005, he was fined and disqualified for two years for driving without insurance or a valid licence.

Later that year, he was convicted again after he had been caught speeding and admitted driving on a provisional licence, without insurance.

Mr Maguire was imprisoned for five months and disqualified for four years in 2007 after taking off “at high speed” when requested to stop for police for “driving in an erratic manner”.

The officer said he had been driving without insurance and while banned.

He was fined and disqualified for six months in 2012 for driving while using his mobile phone, the committee heard.