Tragic story of one of Paisley’s most cold-blooded killings shines spotlight on horror of domestic violence

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The tragic story of one of Paisley’s most cold-blooded killings is being explored in a new book which hopes to shine a spotlight on the horror of domestic violence.In February 1924, the town was left reeling following the brutal murder of a young mum at the hands of her estranged partner.Maggie Gallacher had been staying at her mother’s house in Incle Street when her abusive husband John Gallacher used an open razor to slit her throat as she turned her back to him to soothe her crying baby.The horrific crime shook the community, and the subsequent arrest and trial of John Gallacher thrust Paisley into the epicentre of a country-wide debate on the death penalty.Now, former Paisley Daily Express journalist Jeff Holmes – who first discovered the case as a reporter at the paper – is releasing his new book, 16 Incle Street, which delves deep into the infamous story.He told the Express: “I first became aware of this story when I was working as a reporter for the Paisley Daily Express.“I contributed a Saturday ‘nostalgia’ column and included a snippet of this story in the column one week.“I got a call from a friend of mine, Stuart, who told me the story was about his family.“Time stood still for a moment, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.“It had caught my attention and so I started to research the story further and the more I looked into it, the more it intrigued me.“At the time of the case, the death penalty was a hot topic in the UK, and for a few months, Paisley was the epicentre of that debate.”The book is set during a time when there was an epidemic of domestic violence in Renfrewshire, with so many cases filling up the sheriff court that it was considered ‘normal’.Today, one in four women are still affected