The brother of murdered Tayside father-of-five John McMurchie has admitted threatening to kill a man he believes is responsible for the death.
Bruce McMurchie was warned by a sheriff to “leave the police to do their job” after being stopped by officers in the garden of an address in Dundee at the weekend.
McMurchie (53), Kenmore Terrace, Dundee, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person fear or alarm on February 2 at an address in the city, in that he threatened to murder a male.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie told the court police had received an anonymous phone call on Saturday telling them a man was on his way to the address to damage property.
She said: “Police went there and found the accused in the garden of the house. He was asked if he lived there and he said no and was escorted out.”
McMurchie was told by officers that he should leave the area but then told them he intended to return.
He was asked by officers what he meant by this and he replied: “I’ll be back and murder that murdering b******.”
Ms Gillespie told the court Mr McMurchie believed the other male was responsible for murdering his brother.
Ian Houston, defending, said: “My client is convinced that this man is responsible and he is frustrated by the lack of a person being charged.”
Sheriff Richard Davidson told McMurchie: “You have my condolences on the loss of your brother, but it is not going to help if you take matters into your own hands.
“I recognise that it is extremely frustrating that there is no outcome in these proceedings so far. But you run the risk of prejudicing the inquiry.
“Leave the police to do their job. Help them in whatever way you can with any information that you have. You have my greatest sympathy, but I cannot condone this.”
Sentence was deferred until May 7. McMurchie was granted bail on the condition he does not approach or attempt to contact the man by any means.
No one has yet been charged in connection with the murder of John McMurchie (50), from Errol, who was found injured in a Dundee street last August and died a short time later.