AFife man who killed his drug dealer in a frenzied attack “over a tenner” has been jailed for 12 years and six months.
William Paterson, 46, previously pled guilty to the culpable homicide of James Beveridge in a Kirkcaldy street on October 15 last year and was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.
Paterson repeatedly stabbed 41-year-old Mr Beveridge on the head, neck and body with a knife before leaving him bleeding to death on the pavement in Farne Court.
Despite the severity of his wounds, Mr Beveridge managed to stumble to his feet and told his assailant: “You’re going down for a murder all over a tenner.”
Medical staff battled to save Mr Beveridge’s life but he died the next day.
In sentencing, Lord Armstrong said: “I have no doubt that Mr Beveridge’s family will have been deeply affected by this and nothing I can say or do will compensate for their loss and no sentence will be sufficient in their eyes.”
Some of Mr Beveridge’s family members wept and embraced as they left the courtroom.
The High Court previously heard how Paterson, who lived in the town’s Lismore Avenue, had fallen out with Mr Beveridge, who was described as a low level drug dealer, because he wanted to buy drugs on credit.
Detectives also suspected that Paterson wanted refunded over “dud” Valium tablets which he had previously purchased from Mr Beveridge.
However, the dealer refused to do business with his client and, after the pair exchanged text messages, they arranged to meet up with each other to resolve the dispute one way or another.
Mr Beveridge suffered two superficial injuries but Paterson also inflicted a penetrating wound to the left side of his victim’s neck.
Paterson’s friend managed to disarm him and throw the knife on the pavement out of further harm’s way.
- For more on this story see Saturday’s Courier, also available as a digital edition.
