A man accused of murdering his friend asked him “Oi, are you dead yet?” as he waited for an ambulance crew to arrive.
Jurors in the trial of Bruce Rothwell, 62, were played the recording on the opening day of the trial at the High Court in Inverness.
Rothwell denies murdering 50-year-old Thomas McTeir at his home in Barrogill Street, Wick, claiming he acted in self-defence.
‘Had to put him down’
Advocate depute John McElroy played the jury the emergency call made by Rothwell on June 13 2020 during which he told the 999 operator that the pair had “had an argument” around half an hour before he made the call and that he had “just had to put him down”.
At one point during the call, Rothwell can be heard to say: “Come on mate. Oi! Are you dead yet?”
He also told the call handler he believed himself to have come off worse in the altercation saying: “He is less injured than I am.”
When ambulance crews arrived at the home that the two men sometimes shared, they found Rothwell who was “bleeding” and Mr McTeir in cardiac arrest.
Police constable Ross Cameron, one of the police officers called to the scene on the night told the court that when they arrived Rothwell said: “Sorry boys, it had to be done.”
As part of a joint minute of agreed evidence, it was accepted that Rothwell told police officers that he “had to do it”.
Murder accused’s comments ‘cryptic’
A second police officer, constable Andrew Mackay told the court he had found Rothwell’s assertion that he had done what he “had to do” to be “cryptic”.
However, he conceded to defence advocate Tony Lenehan that Rothwell’s position that his actions had been in self-defence would be one possible explanation for the comment.
Jurors were shown pictures of Rothwell taken following the incident with obvious injuries to his face and head.
Mr McTeir was resuscitated at the scene and again on arrival at Caithness General Hospital.
Subsequent tests showed that he had “no brain activity” and he died three days later in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
The trial, before Lord Arthurson, continues.
