A man accused of murdering his mum’s boyfriend told her he tried to stop his co-accused striking him with a dog lead, a court has heard.
Ryan Gibb, 32, and Cameron Laurie, 33, are accused of murdering James Chadwick at a flat in Aberdeen’s Holland Street.
Yesterday, Gibb’s mother Tracey told the High Court in Aberdeen she had been in a relationship with Mr Chadwick for five years.
The court heard that Mr Chadwick had given Laurie a “bit of cheek” and that they’d argued.
Advocate depute James Keegan took her through the statement she gave to police following Mr Chadwick’s death in 2015.
He asked: “Does it say ‘Ryan told me that he and Cameron had gone to James’ flat and that Cameron had taken a dog lead with him and had hit James with it?’”
Ms Gibb replied: “Yes.”
The advocate depute continued: “Does it go on ‘Ryan also said he had tried to stop Cameron from hitting James but that he had pushed him out of the way and kept hitting him?’”
Ms Gibb said it did.
But during his cross-examination, Laurie’s defence counsel Brian McConnachie QC suggested to her that a number of people had indicated that Mr Chadwick was frightened of her son – despite her claims they got on well.
And yesterday, Ms Gibb said: “That’s a lot of rubbish. That’s not true. It’s the opposite way round. James was frightened of Cameron, not Ryan.”
Gibb and Laurie are accused of murdering Mr Chadwick at his address on the city’s Holland Street on the night of August 31 into September 1 2015. It is alleged they struck him on the face as well as punched and pushed him.
It is also alleged they repeatedly struck him with a dog lead or similar instrument and kicked and stamped on his head and body.
They are further accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by cleaning blood from Mr Chadwick’s head and body, falsely claiming to have witnessed a male being assaulted and by disposing of a dog lead or similar instrument.
They deny the charges against them. The trial continues.
