A killer who brutally murdered an Aberdeen ScotRail worker after contacting him hours earlier on a dating app was today facing a life sentence.
David Bain, 28, stabbed Clifford Anderson in the heart with a knife before leaving the fatally injured victim in his home.
Bain was seen outside in the street with a can of lager shouting: “I have stabbed him. I have stabbed him.”
The former labourer and slaughterhouse worker later told police: “I just f***ing stuck it in him.”
He also said to officers: “I need to stop taking drugs. That’s what it is.”
Bain had denied murdering his victim but was today convicted on a majority verdict of the offence by a jury.
Blood samples from Bain tested positive for alcohol, cocaine and diazepam in the wake of the fatal attack.
Bain had made contact with Mr Anderson, 60, in the early hours of the morning on August 23 in 2020 through the Grindr app before arriving at the rail employee’s home in Jasmine Terrace, in Aberdeen.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the men took part in consensual sexual activity before Bain inflicted a single stab wound to the heart of his victim, which would have resulted in rapid and profuse blood loss.
In cardiac arrest and unresponsive
The court heard that when a paramedic arrived at Mr Anderson’s home police officers were giving the victim CPR but he was in cardiac arrest and unresponsive.
A trauma team was dispatched to help and Mr Anderson was then taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but life was later pronounced extinct.
Bain had disposed of two knives he took from Mr Anderson’s home in a bin but was still found to be in possession of a multi tool with blades when he was detained by police.
Advocate depute Christopher McKenna told jurors: “The Crown case is that on August 23 in 2020 the accused David Bain, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, murdered Clifford Anderson by stabbing him in the heart with a kitchen knife.”
Drugs affected killer’s mental health
The prosecutor argued that there was “clear and compelling evidence” to convict on the murder charge, but defence counsel Gary Allan invited the jury to return a guilty verdict to the lesser offence of culpable homicide.
Giving evidence, Aberdeen-born Bain said that as well as drinking he would take marijuana, cocaine, diazepam, ecstasy and ketamine.
He said: “It affected my mental health quite severely.”
He said he realised there was a link between his alcohol consumption and drug-taking but said it had not stopped him from taking drugs.
‘I was ashamed’
Bain said he was bisexual but told the court: “I did do sexual things with other men but I felt ashamed about it.”
He maintained that he had self-harmed in the past.
He claimed that he felt ashamed after the sexual activity with Mr Anderson, who he said he had not previously met.
He said: “I wasn’t feeling good about myself. I was ashamed. I felt disgusted.”
Bain told the court that he wanted to hurt himself and took two knives and went towards the door.
He said he had not fallen out with Mr Anderson and there had been no trouble between them.
‘Startled’
He said as he continued towards the door the victim came up behind him and he was “startled”.
He claimed that as he had the knives he thought he would make the other man stop and back away from him and turned and made a “stabbing motion” but a knife made contact with Mr Anderson.
Bain maintained that he did not intend to strike Mr Anderson and said: “It all happened really quickly.
“After that happened I ran out the house. I opened the door and ran out in a panic.”
Life sentence
Mr McKenna posed the question to jurors: “If he did not mean to stab Clifford Anderson why didn’t he help him?
“There is no evidence at all that he tried to assist him in any way after he stabbed him.”
After Bain was convicted the jury heard that he has five previous convictions, including one for violence, but has never received a custodial sentence before.
The trial judge, Lord Boyd of Duncansby, adjourned the case for the preparation of a background report on Bain.
He will have to fix a minimum term Bain must serve before he can become eligible to apply for parole under the life sentence he will receive for the crime of murder.
Detective Inspector Gary Winter, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Police Scotland welcomes yesterday’s conviction.
“Our thoughts remain with Clifford’s family and friends as they continue to come to terms with his tragic and needless loss.”
The court case was continued until March 14 with Bain remaining in custody.
