A man accused of attempting to murder his best friend with a meat cleaver and hammer has been acquitted after the victim told a jury: “I probably did it myself”.
Kim Twidale’s trial at the High Court in Aberdeen lasted less than two hours and, after hearing evidence from Scott Jarrett, the prosecution team decided to drop all the charges.
Mr Twidale, 45, had been accused of attempting to murder Mr Jarrett at his home on Logie Road, Crimond, by assaulting him to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
The charge stated Mr Twidale repeatedly struck the 49-year-old on the head with a meat cleaver and then repeatedly hit him on the head with a hammer.
‘I was out my face and didn’t have a clue what I was saying’
He was also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by engaging in a fight with Mr Jarrett on the same date, September 18 2020.
Mr Twidale denied all the charges against him.
Mr Jarrett was the first and last witness to give evidence before the Crown decided it would no longer be seeking convictions.
Asked by advocate depute Leanne McQuillan if he remembered sustaining some injuries, Mr Jarrett replied: “I can’t remember anything about it.
“At the time I was heavily involved with drinking and taking drugs.
“I was completely and utterly out my face and didn’t know what was going on.”
Mr Jarrett went on to describe Mr Twidale as one of his “best friends” and said the pair had consumed a “colossal” amount of alcohol and drugs across four days before the incident happened.
Asked what he remembered about that day, Mr Jarrett said: “Being very drunk and out my face and falling all over the place.”
‘I was speaking gobbledygook probably’
Ms McQuillan asked: “Do you remember getting those injuries?”
He replied: “I probably did it myself.”
The advocate depute then took Mr Jarrett through a police statement he’d given at the time, in which he said Mr Twidale had got “a bit nippy”.
Reading the statement, Ms McQuillan said: “Kim got aggressive with me and I saw him raise his right hand to go for me.”
The statement went on to detail “four or five sharp blows” to his head.
However, asked if he’d been telling the police the truth, Mr Jarrett said: “I can’t remember.”
Asked if he’d been lying, he said: “I didn’t know what I was saying.”
He went on: “I was out my face and didn’t have a clue what I was saying.
“I was speaking gobbledygook probably.”
Defence counsel Gareth Reid said he had no cross-examination for the witness and Ms McQuillan told the court the Crown would no longer be seeking convictions on the two charges.
Lord Scott then formally acquitted Mr Twidale, of Rosemount Square, Aberdeen.
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