An accused in the Kirriemuir murder trial has told of the “crazed” look in his friend’s eyes after seeing him launch a frenzied attack on Steven Donaldson.
Callum Davidson admitted punching Donaldson but told High Court jurors he was pushed aside by a “roaring” Steven Dickie on the night of June 6.
Co-accused Tamsin Glass, Donaldson’s ex, drove away from the scene before Dickie launched the attack through the window of the car, pulling away with blood on his hands and a knife in one of them, Davidson claimed.
Farm worker Davidson told Edinburgh High Court he and Dickie had gone to Kirrie Hill after Glass received texts and calls from her former partner, which had angered Dickie.
Glass and Donaldson were parked there, but he said Dickie was “hanging off” so he went forward first and “assaulted the lad”.
Dickie was “roaring” in the background before he then leant through the
window and started striking Donaldson, he added.
“I started shouting ‘let’s get a move on’, but he wasn’t for stopping. He then stopped, pulled himself out and I saw the blood on his hands. It was the blood from the boy in the car. I seen the knife in his left hand.”
Davidson said Donaldson was slumped in the driver’s seat and he thought he may be dead.
“(Dickie) told me to get in the car. He advised me that would be in the best interests of Claire (Ogston, Davidson’s girlfriend) and my unborn child.”
Davidson said he was then told to drive by Dickie and they eventually came to the car park at Kinnordy Loch nature reserve.
During the journey, Mr Donaldson began to move in the back of the car.
Asked what happened when they got to the car park, Davidson said: “I started to walk for the gate. I got about halfway across and heard feet shuffling in the gravel and Steven (Dickie) shouting and I got a serious fright.
“I thought it was my turn and started to run, but it was Steven Donaldson trying to get away.”
Davidson continued to run away but said he could see Donaldson lying on the road, being hit with a bat by his co-accused.
“I heard the first hit; it was a dull thud and Steven was still shouting for me to get back.
“What got my attention was the different noise the bat made, it’s strange to say but that’s what I remember.”
Dickie then caught up with him and he told the jurors Dickie ordered him to go back to the loch to search for the broken baseball bat.
He said he found splinters and the handle – which was “sticky” – but threw them away, telling Dickie he hadn’t been able to locate the weapon.
“I knew that if he knew I’d found it and didn’t take it back he’d go crazy,” he said.
The trial continues.