A man dubbed “Britain’s most feckless father” after siring 16 children by 14 different mothers is facing a life sentence for murder.
Jamie Cumming (36), was found guilty by a majority of the jury of eight men and seven women at the High Court in Dundee of stabbing 29-year-old James Getty to death after a pub argument in June last year.
Cumming sat quietly staring straight ahead in the dock as the jury delivered its verdict.
The jury took less than two hours to find him guilty of murdering 29-year-old James Getty by striking him repeatedly with a knife or similar instrument at the junction of Mains Road and Mid Road in Dundee on June 1.
He had lodged a special defence of incrimination against James Kelbie on the murder charge.
Following the verdict, advocate depute Gillian Wade said: “The accused is in a relationship and has three children from that and 13 children from various other relationships.
“He has 19 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences but he has one conviction for assault to injury, which was dealt with at summary level.”
She said he had been remanded in custody since his arrest on June 2 last year.
Cumming bowed his head as he was led downstairs after Judge Lady Clark of Calton adjourned the case until April 3 for reports.
James Getty’s family, who had been in court for the duration of the two-week trial, declined to comment after the verdict.
Cumming shot to prominence in 2011 after his mother Lorraine called him a “sexual predator” who, she said: “just loves teenagers”.
Detective Inspector Gary Ogilvie, senior investigating officer for the case, said it had been a brutal assault on an unarmed man, which tragically demonstrated the horrendous outcomes of having a knife in a public place.
During the trial the jury heard Mr Getty, a father of three children, had gone to the Maltman pub to celebrate James Kelbie’s 50th birthday and during the evening had emerged from the toilets, bleeding from a head wound.
He told friends Cumming had punched him and left the pub, followed moments later by Cumming. Witnesses told how the fight continued outside and in a side street.
James Kelbie had intervened to split the pair but then went back into the pub before Mr Getty appeared, bleeding heavily from a chest wound and collapsing.
Paramedics treated him at the scene and in an ambulance en route to hospital but he died from his injuries before surgeons could operate at Ninewells Hospital.
Forensic evidence showed that blood was found on shoes and the legs and inside pocket of Cumming’s jeans which were described as being consistent with a bloodstained hand or object going into it.
His shirt had blood on the inside as well as the outside.
In summing up the case, advocate depute Murdo MacAllister told the jury that Cumming had texted people, “saying his goodbyes.”
He said when the police caught up with Cumming he said: “I’ve thrown my life away.”