A professional dancer who killed two elderly neighbours in a row over bins in Argyll told police: “This is the best day I’ve ever had.”
Oskars Rancevs tap danced in Oban police station and said: “This is the best birthday ever.”
At the High Court in Glasgow, the 33-year-old was found not guilty of murdering 73-year-old ex-SAS man Martyn Smith and killing John Whyte, 75, in October last year because he was mentally ill at the time.
Judge Lady Rae formally acquitted him of the charges and sent him to the State Hospital on an interim compulsion order.
Prosecutor Derick Nelson said Rancevs was a professional dancer on a reality show and cruise ships.
He came to the UK from Latvia in 2015 – but in the lead-up to the killings a number of people expressed concerns about his behaviour.
The court heard that Mr Smyth had previously complained about Rancevs putting the wrong rubbish in the bin.
At 9.30am on October 1 last year, Rancevs approached the pensioners outside the block of flats.
He began to throw rubbish from a bin bag at Mr Smith, then walked away before turning back and pushing him on the chest three times.
Mr Smith fell to the ground and as he tried to get back up, Rancevs, who is 6ft 1in and of muscular build, kicked him on the head, and then jumped on his chest with both feet.
As Mr Smith tried to crawl away on his hands and knees, Rancevs dragged him to a space between two parked cars, climbed on to the bonnet of one of the cars and jumped off onto his victim. He also tipped a laundry basket filled with rubbish over him.
Rancevs then kicked Mr Whyte on the stomach twice. The pensioner dialled 999 and went back into his flat.
Mr Nelson said: “Once he was in his flat, the conversation with the operator carried on briefly, until she could hear the sound of what appeared to be gurgling and heavy breathing. She remained on the line for some time afterwards, but did not receive any further response.”
Although officers on scene were told about the call, they were not aware how it ended.
When police forced entry to his house at 8.10pm, they found him on a couch clutching his mobile phone. He had been dead for several hours.
Mr Smith died from blunt force trauma and had multiple rib fractures and a fractured sternum.
Mr Whyte, who had heart disease and high blood pressure, died from cardiac arrest caused by stress.
Mr Nelson said: “Pathologists found it reasonable to assume that the stress of seeing another person being assaulted, combined with being kicked in the stomach himself, precipitated cardiac arrhythmia and subsequent cardiac arrest.”
The prosecutor added: “As he was led away from his flat the accused told police: “This is the best day I’ve ever had.”
Psychiatrists believe Rancevs was suffering from bipolar affective disorder with a manic episode.
Lady Rae said: “This is a very tragic case. The prosecution has accepted a plea of not guilty on the basis the accused was suffering from a mental disorder to such a degree he was unable to realise the nature of the wrongfulness of his actions.”
