An “angry and raging” murder accused was found in his alleged victim’s Dundee flat holding aloft a piece of wood while a man lay bleeding nearby, a trial was told.
Matthew Pope was seen with the item “at shoulder height” in the living room of Michael Given, who was lying on the floor, a witness told a jury at the High Court in Aberdeen on Tuesday.
Pope, 22, denies murdering Mr Given in the Elders Court multi-storey block last July.
Witness Ryan Crighton, 22, told the trial Mr Given lived in the sixth-floor flat opposite him and was his “best mate” for a while.
Mr Crighton said “you couldn’t ask for a better guy” when Mr Given was sober but, when drunk, he had threatened him although “never followed through”.
Returning to his flat on the evening of July 20, Mr Crighton said Mr Given had threatened him again, leaving him “scared”.
He reported this to the caretaker, who told him to call the police.
After returning to his flat, Mr Crighton later heard a “couple of bangs” and looking through his peephole saw Matthew Pope shouting and banging on Mr Given’s door.
Mr Crighton’s statement was read out and it stated that Pope said: “I’m fed up of the threats, I’m fed up of the bullying.”
It became quiet and Mr Crighton went across to investigate. Mr Given’s front door was “swinging” and he heard Pope shouting from the living room.
Asked by advocate depute Douglas Fairley QC to describe the scene, Mr Crighton said: “Mikey was lying on the floor and Matty was standing a bit away from him.”
Mr Fairley asked if there was anything in Matthew Pope’s hand.
Mr Crighton said: “A piece of wood. He was holding it up with both hands at shoulder height.”
“What did you do?” asked Mr Fairley.
Mr Crighton replied: “I ran across and took it off him. I flung it.”
He then grabbed Pope in a “bear hug” and took him out of the flat.
Pope is accused of murdering Mr Given on July 20 or 21 by punching, kicking and stamping repeatedly on his head and body, striking him with a piece of wood with nails protruding from it, striking him with a TV and inflicting blunt force injuries to him.
He is accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by removing blood-stained clothing and disposing of evidence in a bin.
He faces three other charges assaulting Mr Given by inflicting blunt force injuries, adopting an aggressive and threatening manner towards Paul Taylor, Rowena McIntosh and Douglas McIntyre on July 20 or 21 and assaulting a man in Victoria Road, Dundee, on February 10.
Pope denies all five charges. The trial continues.