A jury has heard how one of the men accused of murdering a Peterhead man called his dad in the aftermath of the incident and told him: “I stabbed him heaps of times – I think he’s dead.”
Andrew Ross, 52, died from multiple stab wounds with one fatal blow piercing his heart causing massive blood loss and cardiac arrest.
The High Court in Aberdeen heard that no medical intervention would have aided Mr Ross and he died on Ives Street in Peterhead just before 9pm on February 5, 2023.
Brothers Luke Allan, 28, and Ethan Carlyle, 22, are on trial accused of his murder and both deny the charge.
Admission to father
Advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel told the jury that shortly before 9.10pm on February 5, Luke Allan rang his father and told him: “Dad, I have f**ked up. I stabbed him heaps of times – I think he’s dead.”
The court also heard how Allan went to friend’s flat on Leask Avenue in Peterhead.
Two men who were present later told police that Allan had told them more about the incident at Ives Road.
Allan allegedly told them: “Two c***s came in and took him by the throat, they took the weed and money and tried to take one of the puppies.”
Allan said the men had been “screaming in Ethan’s face” and had threatened him and “Ethan had bolted”.
The court was told Allan had also said the two men had been hitting him with a crowbar until he managed to break free.
‘I slashed one’
“He grabbed a knife,” Ms Dalziel continued. “And told them he saw black, chasing the men downstairs.
“He said he had slashed one to the face, but he didn’t think he had killed him.”
Allan was traced by police to the Leask Avenue address and was arrested just after 4am on February 6.
At 4.25am officers also traced Ethan Carlyle to an address on Kirk Street in Peterhead where he immediately asked them: “tell me what happened”.
He told the police he was “in shock” and that he had bruising to his legs and said: “I did not do anything, I just ran away.”
The trial heard that a kitchen knife found at Allan’s Ives Road flat had Mr Ross’ DNA on the 8cm blade and Carlyle’s DNA on the handle.
Forensic scientist Sarah Walker gave evidence to say that a crowbar found outside the property next to the garden gate where Mr Ross was seen to fall on CCTV footage also provided DNA data.
DNA evidence
She told the court that no blood had been found on the crowbar, but DNA from Allan was found on one end and also DNA from Andrew Ross was recovered from the shaft of the implement.
Leighanne Deboys, a forensic pathologist, carried out a post-mortem on Mr Ross and the jury were shown photographs of his lifeless body lying on Ives Road after paramedics had tried to save him.
She said Mr Ross had sustained 18 stab wounds, but one near his left armpit had been the fatal blow.
“Its track ended in the aorta, the depth was 10.5cm from skin to the aorta,” she said.
Explaining that this is one of the major blood vessels to the heart, she added: “It would have caused rapid blood loss, cardiac arrest and death.”
The jury was also shown photographs taken of Mr Ross during Dr DeBoys’ post-mortem.
‘Severe force used’
Giving evidence of each of Mr Ross’s injuries, Dr Deboys said some of the stab wounds had been so forceful that bones had been broken using “severe force”.
When asked if the wounds could have been inflicted with an 8cm kitchen knife, she said they could but of some of the deeper wounds on Mr Ross’s back “would favour a longer blade”.
The court heard some of Mr Ross’s injuries were “defensive” in nature.
Dr Harris Rana gave evidence via video and told the court he had examined Allan and Carlyle at Kittybrewster Custody Suite during the afternoon of February 6.
He said Carlyle had some “superficial” red marks and bruising on his torso and legs and the accused had told Dr Rana that some were from a crowbar attack the night before.
“He also said to me that he had been paintballing in the proceeding days,” Dr Rana said and that these corresponded to the bruising on his torso.
Accused injuries recorded
Allan had some “superficial” injuries around his legs, arms and shoulders.
Under cross-examination by Gareth Jones KC, Carlyle’s defence counsel, Dr Rana was shown more photographs of his client’s leg taken a few days later as the bruise “developed”.
He suggested that the bruise looked like the hooked end of a crowbar and asked if the doctor agreed, he replied: “I am unable to confirm that.”
Charges against Allan in relation to drug dealing and possession have now been dropped and the charge that both Allan and Carlyle allegedly assaulted Barry Middleton was also dropped.
Allan and Carlyle are each accused of pursuing Mr Ross, repeatedly striking him on the head and body with knives and murdering him.
The trial, being heard by Judge Graeme Buchanan, continues.
