A man stabbed two people to death as a family vigil for a ded teenager ended in a bloodbath, a court heard yesterday.
Robert Stratton is accused of stabbing Julie McCash and David Sorrie to death in a row in the street.
The alleged stabbing took place just after 5am – hours after 18-year-old Ralph Smith was reported missing.
The teenager was found dead after falling from cliffs in Arbroath, Angus.
Julie McCash (left), 42, and David Sorrie (right), 32, died when violence erupted at a flat in Dundee during a gathering for Ralphie Duffy, 18
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how his family had gathered to ‘comfort’ each other when trouble flared in a house in Drumlanrig Drive, Dundee on February 26.
Yesterday sales adviser Darren Wallace, 25, told the jury he had seen 43-year-old Stratton stab Miss McCash, 42, after a disturbance involving Mr Wallace’s mother Wendy McKinney, 44, and Stratton’s wife Lee Mary Kinney, who was asked to leave the house.
Mr Wallace said Stratton then appeared in the street carrying knives and shortly afterwards Miss McCash was injured.
He added: ‘I thought it was a punch but he stabbed her. Rab ran towards her. She said: “Darren, he’s stabbed us.”
‘She collapsed onto the pavement. I ran into the house to shout she’s been stabbed and my mum and the whole house came running out… Everybody was just frantic.’
Stratton, of Dundee, denies two charges of murder and other charges including assault and possessing cocaine.
The court heard that the alleged offences took place following the death of Mr Smith, when family and friends wanted to comfort the teenager’s mother Nicola Duffy.
Wendy McKinney told the court that Lee Mary Kinney started arguing with her. Miss McKinney admitted she had taken cocaine earlier in the day and had been drinking.
The alleged stabbing took place just after 5am – hours after 18-year-old Ralph Smith (pictured) was reported missing
She said that after Miss Kinney left she became aware that Miss McCash had been stabbed.
She and David Sorrie, 32, ran out and saw Stratton: ‘He was standing on his own. He had two knives. He was swinging them.’
Miss McKinney said Stratton came towards her and she put her foot up to protect herself.
She heard her son scream and saw the victim lying: ‘I pulled her top off. I seen her wound.
‘I took my top off and I packed it in the wound. I applied pressure. I tried to breathe into her mouth.’
Prosecutors and defence lawyers agree Stratton stabbed Miss McCash and Mr Sorrie and the pair died as a consequence.
But Stratton’s legal team has lodged special defences of incrimination and claims he was acting in self-defence in relation to the murder charges.
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