A man has been convicted of killing two people in a Dundee street.
Jurors today found Robert Stratton, 43, guilty of the murder of Julie McCash, 43, but he was given the lesser charge of culpable homicide in relation to 32-year-old David Sorrie.
The stabbing incident took in Drumlanrig Drive, Mid Craigie on February 26.
He has been sentenced for a minimum of 23 years as part of a life term.
When Lord Beckett announced the verdict Stratton turned round to the family and said: “Are youse happy?”
THERE IS AN UPDATE ON THIS STORY
KILLER STRATTON HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER
Stratton, who claimed a special defence of self-defence and incrimination, was earlier acquitted of charges of assault and possessing cocaine.
Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh had heard three days’ worth of evidence. Stratton had told the court that Ms McCash ran into one of the two blades he armed himself with in his kitchen before saying he “wasn’t too sure” how he had struck Mr Sorrie.
The incident unfolded after Stratton’s partner Lee Kinney, 40, was removed from a drunken get-together – planned by friends and family to comfort Nicola Duffy after her 18-year-old son Ralph Smith had gone missing after falling from cliffs in Arbroath.
Stratton claimed Ms Kinney had been “beat up” by members of the group. After returning to his own house nearby, Stratton said he armed himself because he feared members of the group were going to enter his house.
Despite initially fleeing the scene, jurors heard the killer eventually handed himself to police.
Detective Constable Nicola Annan told the court that Stratton said he was “so, so sorry” after being detained at police headquarters.
When giving evidence, Stratton looked at the friends and family of Ms McCash and Mr Sorrie directly and said: “I didn’t mean to hurt anybody.”
Jurors found Stratton guilty of assaulting Ms McCash and striking her on the body with a knife, murdering her.
He also struck Mr Sorrie with a knife on the body, killing him.
At the start of the trial, the prosecution and defence agreed that Stratton had stabbed the pair and that they had died as a result of the injuries inflicted by him – but he denied intentionally killing them.
Jurors had retired yesterday following closing speeches by the prosecution and defence, before announcing their verdict today.
THERE IS AN UPDATE ON THIS STORY
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/mid-craigie-murder-trial-detective-issues-statement-needless-killings-pair-robert-stratton-convicted/
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/mid-craigie-trial-killer-stratton-previously-convicted-attempted-murder/
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