A Dundee man has told a jury he stabbed Arbroath dad Frankie Melvin “a number of times” in a fight which ultimately killed him.
But Jackie Doig, 42, continues to deny murdering the 34-year-old.
Giving evidence at his trial in the High Court of Dundee, Doig said: “If it wasn’t him, it would have been me.”
The jury was sent out to deliberate on Monday afternoon after five days of evidence.
Doig, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh, has lodged a special defence of self defence.
Accused’s evidence
Taking the witness stand, Doig accepted he had stabbed Mr Melvin five times.
During the trial the court has been shown footage of Doig chasing Mr Melvin around Newbigging Drive and Spitalfield Place in Arbroath.
Asked by defence solicitor Iain Paterson why he pursued Mr Melvin, Doig claimed the father-of-four had stolen a bag of street Valium from him.
“I wanted my stuff back,” he said. “I was absolutely raging at him at the time.”
Doig told the court he felt “gutted” when he was told by police Mr Melvin had died and that until that “day of violence” the pair had been friends.
Mr Paterson asked Doig if he accepted he was “responsible” for Mr Melvin’s death.
Doig responded: “Yes, but if it wasn’t him it would have been me.”
Witnesses ‘telling lies’
Advocate depute William Frain-Bell asked if Doig had “lost control” when he stabbed Mr Melvin five times.
Doig denied he had, but had tried to “get him below the waist”.
Mr Melvin died from a stab wound to the buttock, which severed his superior gluteal artery in his pelvis, causing catastrophic internal bleeding.
Doig then accused all of the crown witnesses who provided evidence to the court of “telling lies”, claiming they had “gotten together” to conspire against him.
Closing speech for the prosecution
In his closing speech for the Crown, Mr Frain-Bell said: “The accused claims he acted in self-defence.
“There is no evidence he was acting in this way.
“The Crown position is there was no risk to Jackie Doig’s life or limb.
“The accused chased Frankie Melvin. The court heard Frankie Melvin’s screams (on video).
“He was trying to get away from Doig.”
Mr Frain-Bell said: “Doig’s actions had nothing to do with his own safety.
“He could have walked away at any time.
“He tried to conceal the knife. His actions were extreme.
“The reality is Doig was ‘raging’.
“He said: ‘That’s what you get for robbing me’.
“It was not self defence. It was a brutal and deliberate act on a man who was trying to get away.”
Closing speech for the defence
Mr Paterson told the jury their decision must be made “without emotion and without feeling sorry for anyone.”
He added: “It is not up to Mr Doig to prove he acted in self-defence.
“He accepts he repeatedly stabbed Mr Melvin.
“He isn’t trying to ‘guild the lily’.
“It is up to you (the jury) to decide.
“Doig was provoked. He was pushed. He had treatment for injuries.”
The jury is expected to return a verdict this week.
Murder denied
Doig, formerly of Dundee, is accused of assaulting Mr Melvin in Newbigging Drive and Spitalfield Place, Arbroath, on August 26.
It is alleged he repeatedly punched and kicked him on the head and body, pursued him while armed with a knife and repeatedly stabbed him on the body and murdered him.
