A man has denied the murder of a well-known member of the community in Kirkcaldy.
Leslie Douglas Fraser, 31, described as a prisoner at Edinburgh, is accused of killing Kevin Byrne, whose lifeless body was found in his home in Alison Street on the morning of Tuesday February 5.
Prosecutors allege that Fraser assaulted Mr Byrne in his own home, compressed his neck, stabbed him repeatedly on the neck and body with a knife or similar instrument, and inflicted blunt force trauma to his head and body by means as yet unknown.
The Crown says the crime was carried out at some point between February 3 and February 5.
Fraser is also accused of earlier brandishing a knife at Mr Byrne and threatening to stab him on the neck at the Alison Street property on January 25.
Fraser is also facing two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act, namely being concerned in the supply of a controlled class C drug, Alprazolam, at Alison Street between February 1 and 5, and possession of a controlled class A drug, heroin, at an address in Pratt Street, Kirkcaldy, on February 3.
He appeared from custody before Lord Matthews at the High Court in Glasgow today. Solicitors acting for Fraser tendered not guilty pleas to all charges faced by their client.
Mr Byrne was familiar to many people in the Kirkcaldy area and walked with crutches after having his left leg amputated.
The 45-year-old’s body was said to have been discovered by a worried friend who broke into the property in Alison Street through a front window, and the grim discovery sparked a major police investigation.
Detectives appealed to anyone who may have seen Mr Byrne – who also went by the name Kevin Forrester – in the days leading up to the find.
Officers described Mr Byrne as “distinctive”, given his disability, but a number of days passed without further news as the Major Investigation Team carried out door-to-door inquiries in a bid to find out what had happened to him.
Defence solicitor Ian McSporran told the High Court on Tuesday that his client was pleading not guilty to the indictment, and indicated a special defence of incrimination.
Lord Matthews fixed a trial, which is expected to last around three weeks, for November 25.
