A man who stabbed a fishing boat worker to death with a dagger during a violent row at a flat in Fraserburgh today pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.
Alfie Whelan stabbed Michael Jenkins 13 times on June 4 last year after a row over money spilled over into violence.
Whelan’s blood-soaked 24-year-old victim stumbled out onto the street screaming for help, but collapsed and never recovered from his injuries.
Whelan, 20, today faced a murder allegation when he appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.
But, prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.
Whelan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
Mr Jenkins had gone to Whelan’s flat on Watermill Road that day with a woman he knew.
The court heard the property was in an “untidy state” including an axe and a dagger on the living room floor.
Mr Jenkins and the woman left but returned around 6pm.
Prosecutor Chris McKenna said a “violent altercation” then occurred between Mr Jenkins and Whelan.
Mr McKenna: “During the course of this, Whelan stabbed him 13 times with a dagger.”
Mr Jenkins was said to have picked up the axe in the flat.
The victim was spotted leaving the close with no top on and obviously hurt.
Other residents rushed to his aid before mercy crews arrived.
Mr McKenna said “extensive efforts” were made to save him, but Mr Jenkins passed away.
Killer: ‘I thought I was going to die’
Police had followed a trail of blood back to the flat and found a “highly agitated” Whelan still there.
He was later charged and stated: “I thought I was going to die.”
The weapons involved were also found and each was heavily bloodstained.
In prison calls to a female friend, Whelan told her: “The guy tried to kill me.”
He stated he had also been badly injured later concluding: “I was not going to die. It was either me or him.”
Mr McKenna said the culpable homicide plea was accepted on the basis of provocation.
The court was told Whelan, originally from Sutton, South London, had a previous conviction for possession of a knife.
His lawyer said he had a “disrupted and challenging childhood”.
Tributes to victim
Mark Stewart KC, defending, added there had been a disagreement over money on the night of the killing which “spilled into violence”.
The advocate stated what took place was “clearly not a one-sided incident”, but that self-defence could not be put forward as to what then happened.
Lord Fairley adjourned sentencing for reports until October 15 in Edinburgh.
Mr Jenkins was from Workington in Cumbria and had been part of the crew of a fishing boat berthed at Peterhead Harbour before his death.
Police Scotland issued a statement from Mr Jenkins’ brother after the killing.
It read: “I am so grateful that you were such a massive part of my life for so long.
“I feel honoured and privileged to be able to call you my brother.
“There is a whole town in mourning. The saddest part of all is you probably did not realise how loved you were.”