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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Man guilty of city knife murder | Man guilty of city knife murder |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| A man has been found guilty of murder after stabbing another man through the heart in Aberdeen. | A man has been found guilty of murder after stabbing another man through the heart in Aberdeen. |
| John Anderson, 29, denied murdering William Reeve, 41, who died after a fight in February. He had claimed he was acting in self defence. | John Anderson, 29, denied murdering William Reeve, 41, who died after a fight in February. He had claimed he was acting in self defence. |
| Mr Reeve died from a single knife wound which pierced his heart. | Mr Reeve died from a single knife wound which pierced his heart. |
| Anderson was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh, where it emerged he was on bail awaiting sentence for carrying a knife in the same street. | |
| Grampian Police said the case tragically proved people should not carry knives. | |
| Mr Reeve and friend James Graham, 42, had confronted Anderson and his brother George, accusing them of an earlier attack on Mr Reeve's disabled teenage son which followed a row in a nearby children's swing park. | Mr Reeve and friend James Graham, 42, had confronted Anderson and his brother George, accusing them of an earlier attack on Mr Reeve's disabled teenage son which followed a row in a nearby children's swing park. |
| The court heard Mr Graham was armed with a meat cleaver as Mr Reeve punched George Anderson, 33, and knocked him through a hedge. Anderson went to the family home and returned to the scene with a knife or knives. | |
| Minutes later, dying Mr Reeve told his friend: "They got me, Jim." | |
| A few seconds of madness can lead to tragedy for so many people Insp Andy ImrayGrampian Police | |
| Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, asked jurors to find Anderson guilty of murder. | Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, asked jurors to find Anderson guilty of murder. |
| He said the fight was over when Mr Anderson rushed past the man with the meat cleaver to stab his unarmed companion. | He said the fight was over when Mr Anderson rushed past the man with the meat cleaver to stab his unarmed companion. |
| Defence QC Edgar Prais said it was a tragedy that a man had died because of a silly argument between people who should have known better. | Defence QC Edgar Prais said it was a tragedy that a man had died because of a silly argument between people who should have known better. |
| 'Justice done' | |
| Mr Prais said: "If you are going to convict, it cannot be murder. It can only, at top whack, be culpable homicide as a result of provocation by violence." | Mr Prais said: "If you are going to convict, it cannot be murder. It can only, at top whack, be culpable homicide as a result of provocation by violence." |
| However, he urged jurors to acquit Anderson altogether. | However, he urged jurors to acquit Anderson altogether. |
| The jury took less than an hour to reject Anderson's claim that he was acting in self defence. Charges against his brother were dropped during the trial. | |
| The victim's sister, Kerry Reeve, said: "We couldn't have asked for a better result. We all feel that justice has been done by the unanimous verdict." | |
| She described John Anderson as "scum - not even a monster". | |
| 'Great guy' | |
| She added: "I just want everybody to know Willie was a great guy who should still be here." | |
| The senior investigating officer, Insp Andy Imray of Grampian Police, said: "This has been a tragic set of circumstances for everyone concerned and I am sure the family will take comfort from the verdict. | The senior investigating officer, Insp Andy Imray of Grampian Police, said: "This has been a tragic set of circumstances for everyone concerned and I am sure the family will take comfort from the verdict. |
| "If ever there is an argument for not carrying knives, this is it. In no circumstances should people carry knives - even if they do not set out with murderous intent. A few seconds of madness can lead to tragedy for so many people. | "If ever there is an argument for not carrying knives, this is it. In no circumstances should people carry knives - even if they do not set out with murderous intent. A few seconds of madness can lead to tragedy for so many people. |
| "There is never an excuse for carrying a knife. Our thoughts continue to be with the family of William Reeve." | "There is never an excuse for carrying a knife. Our thoughts continue to be with the family of William Reeve." |