A taxi driver has told a court of his “fright” when a man accused of murdering Dundee man Gary McMillan asked on the day of the alleged killing to hold a knife for him in his cab.
A jury heard Paul Fordyce, 39, say that Arran Fender, 31, produced a knife while sitting in his cab on May 16 2017 at Lawton Terrace in Dundee.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Fordyce say he had picked up Fender a short time before and that his passenger wanted to go to the street.
Mr Fordyce, also of Dundee, said when he arrived at the location, his fare then took out a knife and asked him to hold it.
Speaking about the moment, Fender allegedly produced the knife, Mr Fordyce said: “He said ‘hold that for a second, mate.’
“I saw it was a knife. I got a bit of a fright and I said ‘what are you doing?’ And I dropped it on the floor.
“He laughed and said ‘ha ha your prints will be on that, mate.’ He then said ‘don’t worry mate. I’ll wipe them off’.”
Mr Fordyce was giving evidence on the first day of proceedings against Fender, who is accused of murdering Mr McMillan in Dundee on May 16 2017.
Fender denies charges of murder, knife possession, breach of the peace and an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Yesterday, Mr Fordyce told the court he picked up Fender at Lansdowne Crescent, Dundee, at 2am on May 16 last year.
Mr Fordyce said he took Fender to Lawton Terrace. The jury had earlier heard that Mr McMillan lived at Lawton Terrace.
Mr Fordyce said that after producing the knife, Fender started to get out of the taxi. He was “half in, half out” when he started shouting in the direction of nearby flats at a woman.
He added: “He started shouting on a girl. I think it was ‘Jessica come down here’. He was saying ‘come down here, come down here. You better get down here’ – words to that effect.”
Mr Fordyce then said Fender started shouting on a man called Gary.
He added: “He started shouting ‘Gary come down here.’ He said ‘Gary you’re not coming down here cos you’re a p***y. You know better than to come down here Gary’.”
A man then came out of a flat and stood at the top of the stairs.
Mr Fordyce said a female then came outside and started talking to Fender in the street. Mr Fordyce said he left shortly afterwards.
The trial, before judge Lady Carmichael, continues.
Arran Fender is facing five charges.
Prosecutors claim that on an occasion between February 1 2017 and March 31 2017, at Lawton Terrace in Dundee, he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner towards Gary McMillan, who lived there.
It is alleged that he threatened Mr McMillan with a knife.
At the start of proceedings on Tuesday, jurors were read the contents of a legal document stating the charges against Fender.
Prosecutors also allege that on May 15 2017, at Lochee Park, Ancrum Road, Dundee, Fender had “without reasonable excuse” a knife in his possession.
It is also alleged that on the same date, at Lansdowne Court and Lawton Terrace, Dundee, Fender also had a knife in his possession.
The fourth charge states that Fender assaulted Mr McMillan on May 16 2017, at the junction of Lawton Road and Lawton Terrace, by inflicting blunt force trauma to his head and body “by means to the prosecutor unknown”.
During the alleged attack, Fender is also said to have repeatedly struck Mr McMillan on the body with a knife or similar instrument and that he “did murder him”.
The fifth charge states that at Glenmarkie Terrace in Dundee, Fender allegedly attempted to pervert the course of justice by giving his mother the clothing and footwear he wore during the alleged incident with Mr McMillan.
Fender has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyers have lodged a special defence of self-defence in relation to the murder charge.
